a musical composition or a passage or section in a musical composition written for performance by one singer or instrumentalist, with or without accompaniment: She sang a solo.
any performance, as a dance, by one person.
a flight in an airplane during which the pilot is unaccompanied by an instructor or other person: I'll be ready for my first solo next week.
a person who works, acts, or performs alone: He used to sing with a quartet, but now he's a solo.
a person who performs or accomplishes something without the usual equipment, tools, etc.
Informal. an announcement, commercial offering, etc., made to only one person or a selected group of such persons: Each month the firm sends a solo to its best customers.
Cards. any of certain games in which one person plays alone against others.
adjective
Music. performing alone: a part for solo bassoon.
performed alone; not combined with other parts of equal importance; not concerted.
alone; without a companion or partner: a solo flight.
adverb
on one's own; alone or unaccompanied: After six lessons he was flying solo.
verb (used without object),so·loed,so·lo·ing.
to perform or do a solo: to solo on the trumpet.
to pilot a plane, glider, etc., unaccompanied, especially for the first time: After the course the students should be able to solo.
to perform or accomplish something by oneself.
verb (used with object),so·loed,so·lo·ing.
to pilot (a plane, glider, etc.) unaccompanied.
to allow (a student pilot) to pilot a plane, glider, etc., alone: The instructor decided to solo the student.
1690s, "piece of music for one voice or instrument," from Italian solo, literally "alone," from Latin solus "alone" (see sole (adj.)). As an adjective in English from 1712, originally in the non-musical sense of "alone, unassisted;" in reference to aircraft flying from 1909. The verb is first attested 1858 in the musical sense, 1886 in a non-musical sense. Related: Soloed; soloing.
