Search Result for "singular": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (1)

1. the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton;
[syn: singular, singular form]


ADJECTIVE (6)

1. unusual or striking;
- Example: "a remarkable sight"
- Example: "such poise is singular in one so young"
[syn: remarkable, singular]

2. beyond or deviating from the usual or expected;
- Example: "a curious hybrid accent"
- Example: "her speech has a funny twang"
- Example: "they have some funny ideas about war"
- Example: "had an odd name"
- Example: "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"
- Example: "something definitely queer about this town"
- Example: "what a rum fellow"
- Example: "singular behavior"
[syn: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singular]

3. being a single and separate person or thing;
- Example: "can the singular person be understood apart from his culture?"
- Example: "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any other fact and sole of its kind"-William James

4. composed of one member, set, or kind;

5. grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit;

6. the single one of its kind;
- Example: "a singular example"
- Example: "the unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"
- Example: "a unique copy of an ancient manuscript"
- Example: "certain types of problems have unique solutions"
[syn: singular, unique]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Singular \Sin"gu*lar\ (s[i^][ng]"g[-u]*l[~e]r), a. [OE. singuler, F. singulier, fr. L. singularius, singularis, fr. singulus single. See Single, a.] 1. Separate or apart from others; single; distinct. [Obs.] --Bacon. [1913 Webster] And God forbid that all a company Should rue a singular man's folly. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. Engaged in by only one on a side; single. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] To try the matter thus together in a singular combat. --Holinshed. [1913 Webster] 3. (Logic) Existing by itself; single; individual. [1913 Webster] The idea which represents one . . . determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex, or compound. --I. Watts. [1913 Webster] 4. (Law) Each; individual; as, to convey several parcels of land, all and singular. [1913 Webster] 5. (Gram.) Denoting one person or thing; as, the singular number; -- opposed to dual and plural. [1913 Webster] 6. Standing by itself; out of the ordinary course; unusual; uncommon; strange; as, a singular phenomenon. [1913 Webster] So singular a sadness Must have a cause as strange as the effect. --Denham. [1913 Webster] 7. Distinguished as existing in a very high degree; rarely equaled; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional; as, a man of singular gravity or attainments. [1913 Webster] 8. Departing from general usage or expectations; odd; whimsical; -- often implying disapproval or censure. [1913 Webster] His zeal None seconded, as out of season judged, Or singular and rash. --Milton. [1913 Webster] To be singular in anything that is wise and worthy, is not a disparagement, but a praise. --Tillotson. [1913 Webster] 9. Being alone; belonging to, or being, that of which there is but one; unique. [1913 Webster] These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind. --Addison. [1913 Webster] Singular point in a curve (Math.), a point at which the curve possesses some peculiar properties not possessed by other points of the curve, as a cusp point, or a multiple point. Singular proposition (Logic), a proposition having as its subject a singular term, or a common term limited to an individual by means of a singular sign. --Whately. Singular succession (Civil Law), division among individual successors, as distinguished from universal succession, by which an estate descended in intestacy to the heirs in mass. Singular term (Logic), a term which represents or stands for a single individual. [1913 Webster] Syn: Unexampled; unprecedented; eminent; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon; rare; unusual; peculiar; strange; odd; eccentric; fantastic. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Singular \Sin"gu*lar\, n. 1. An individual instance; a particular. [Obs.] --Dr. H. More. [1913 Webster] 2. (Gram) The singular number, or the number denoting one person or thing; a word in the singular number. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

singular adj 1: unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is singular in one so young" [syn: remarkable, singular] 2: beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior" [syn: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singular] 3: being a single and separate person or thing; "can the singular person be understood apart from his culture?"; "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any other fact and sole of its kind"-William James 4: composed of one member, set, or kind [ant: plural] 5: grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit [ant: plural] 6: the single one of its kind; "a singular example"; "the unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"; "a unique copy of an ancient manuscript"; "certain types of problems have unique solutions" [syn: singular, unique] n 1: the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton [syn: singular, singular form] [ant: plural, plural form]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

154 Moby Thesaurus words for "singular": a certain, abnormal, absolute, absurd, alone, an, anomalous, any, any one, appropriate, atomic, atypical, azygous, bizarre, celibate, certain, characteristic, concrete, conspicuous, crank, crankish, cranky, crotchety, curious, defined, definite, detailed, determinate, deviant, deviative, different, discrete, distinct, distinctive, distinguished, divergent, dotty, dual, eccentric, either, eminent, erratic, esoteric, especial, exceptional, exclusive, express, extraordinary, fey, first and last, fixed, flaky, freaked out, freakish, freaky, funny, idiocratic, idiosyncratic, impair, important, in character, individual, indivisible, inner, integral, intimate, intrinsic, irreducible, irregular, isolated, kinky, kooky, lone, maggoty, marked, minute, monadic, monistic, notable, noteworthy, number, nutty, odd, oddball, off, off the wall, offbeat, one, one and only, only, only-begotten, out, outlandish, outre, outstanding, particular, passing strange, peculiar, personal, plural, precise, private, prominent, proper, quaint, queer, quintessential, quirky, rare, remarkable, respective, screwball, screwy, separate, several, signal, significant, simple, single, sole, solid, solipsistic, solitary, solo, special, specific, strange, superior, trial, true to form, twisted, unanalyzable, uncommon, unconventional, undivided, unearthly, unexampled, uniform, unimaginable, unique, unitary, unnatural, unordinary, unpaired, unrepeatable, unrepeated, unthinkable, unusual, unwonted, wacky, weird, whimsical, whole, wondrous strange
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

SINGULAR, construction. In grammar the singular is used to express only one, not plural. Johnson. 2. In law, the singular frequently includes the plural. A bequest to "my nearest relation," for example, will be considered as a bequest to all the relations in the same degree, who are nearest to the testator. 1 Ves. sen. 337; 1 Bro. C. C. 293. A bequest made to "my heir," by a person who had three heirs, will be construed in the plural. 4 Russ. C. C. 384. 3. The same rule obtains in the civil law: In usu juris frequenter uti nos singulari appellationie, am plura significari vellemus. Dig. 50, l6, 158.