singleton

See also: Singleton

English

Etymology

From single +‎ -ton, probably following the model of simpleton.

Pronunciation

Noun

singleton (plural singletons)

  1. (playing cards) A playing card that is the only one of its suit in a hand, especially at bridge.
  2. (playing cards) A hand containing only one card of a certain suit.
  3. A single object, especially one of a group.
  4. (computing) A class that may not be instantiated more than once, i.e. that implements the singleton design pattern.
  5. (mathematics) A set with exactly one element.
  6. A child or animal that is born singly, not as a twin or other multiple birth.
    singleton preterm birth
    • 2015 October 23, “Periconception Maternal Folate Status and Human Embryonic Cerebellum Growth Trajectories: The Rotterdam Predict Study”, in PLOS ONE‎[1], →DOI:
      Viable non-malformed singleton pregnancies were selected for cerebellar measurements; transcerebellar diameter, (TCD), left and right cerebellar diameters (LCD, RCD).
  7. A person without a romantic partner.
    • 2012 February 11, Katie Gile, “I hate/love Valentine’s Day”, in Spinnaker‎[2], Jacksonville, Fla.: University of North Florida, archived from the original on 18 September 2020:
      The time draws near when pink and red creep insidiously into the periphery, jewelry retailers go into overdrive and drugstore aisles burst with cherubs for the one holiday of the year that separates the singletons from the significant-othered.
    • 2022 August 14, “Lessons in love”, in The Sunday People‎[3], archived from the original on 7 October 2022:
      Millennials and Gen Zedders’ approach to romance can teach later-life singletons a thing or two about new relationships, according to dating agent Anna Williamson.
  8. A person without a dissociative identity.
    Synonym: singlet
  9. (phonetics) A single consonant, as opposed to a geminated consonant.
    singleton sonorants
  10. (backgammon) Synonym of blot.
  11. (education) A class offered only once within a school year.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

singleton (comparative more singleton, superlative most singleton)

  1. (education) Of a class offered only once within a school year.
    a singleton class

See also

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsɪŋɡəltɔn/, /ˈsɪŋəltɔn/

Noun

singleton m (plural singletons, diminutive singletonnetje n)

  1. a singleton (lone playing card)

Noun

singleton n (plural singletons, diminutive singletonnetje n)

  1. a singleton (design pattern, class, set)

French

Pronunciation

Noun

singleton m (plural singletons)

  1. card games singleton
  2. mathematics singleton
  3. computing singleton

Further reading

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Bokmål numbers (edit)
 ←  0 1 2  → 
    Cardinal: en/én, ei/éi, et/ett
    Ordinal: første
    Ordinal abbreviation: 1.
    Latinate ordinal: primær
    Reverse ordinal: sist
    Adverbial: én gang
    Multiplier: enkel
    Distributive: enkeltvis
    Nominal: ener, ettall
    Fractional: hel, heil
    Combining form: ene-
    Latin cardinal prefix: uni-
    Greek cardinal prefix: mono-, mon-
    Greek ordinal prefix: proto-, prot-
    Grammatical number: entall, singularis
    Greek collective: monade
    Birth term: enling
    Bridge holding: singleton
    Musical terms: solo, (interval) prim
    Period in years: år
A bridge hand with a singleton ace of diamonds.

Etymology

Borrowed from English singleton, ultimately based on single (“one only; individual”). Its ending is often explained by analogy with simpleton, although the role of French singleton in the word's history is uncertain. The base continues Middle English sengle, from Anglo-Norman sengle (Old French sengle), from Latin singulus (“one apiece; individual”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”) through Proto-Italic.

Compare Norwegian Nynorsk singleton, Danish singleton and French singleton.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /¹sɪŋəltɔn/, [ˈsɪ̀ŋːəltɔn], /¹sɪŋltɔn/, [ˈsɪ̀ŋːltɔn]
  • Rhymes: -ɪŋəltɔn, -ɪŋltɔn
  • Hyphenation: sing‧le‧ton

Noun

singleton m (definite singular singletonen, indefinite plural singleton or singletoner, definite plural singletonene)

  1. (card games) singleton; a card that is the only one of its suit in a player's hand, especially in bridge
    ha en singleton i ruter ― to have a singleton diamond
    sitte med kongen singleton ― to hold a singleton king
    • 2025 August 26, Leif Erik Stabell, “Bare nesten for damelaget i VM”, in Norsk Bridgeforbund‎[4]:
      Denne gangen stikker Syd med Kongen og skifter til hjerter 8 - opplagt en singleton etter Nords hjertermelding.
      This time South wins with the king and switches to the eight of hearts—obviously a singleton after North's heart bid.
  2. (set theory) singleton; a set containing exactly one element
    • 2012, Morten Dahlback, Væren, sannheten, subjektet. Om Alain Badious filosofi‎[5], online edition, page 33:
      […] f.eks får man fra mengden α en singleton {α}, og unionen av disse α ∪ {α}.
      […] for example, from the set α one obtains a singleton {α}, and their union α ∪ {α}.
  3. (programming) singleton; a class that permits only one instance, or that instance itself
    • 2020 July 9, Lars Espen Nordhus, “Ytelse og kode - dette bør du tenke på”, in kode24‎[6]:
      […] men nå er dette blitt gjort om til en singleton by default i nyere versjoner.
      […] but this has now been made a singleton by default in newer versions.

Usage notes

The indefinite plural singleton is listed in Bokmålsordboka (The Bokmål Dictionary), while singletoner is listed in NAOB (The Norwegian Academy's Dictionary).

See also

  • renons (“void; no cards in a suit”)
  • doubleton (“doubleton; two cards in a suit”)

References

Polish

Etymology

    Borrowed from English singleton.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /siŋˈɡlɛ.tɔn/
    • Rhymes: -ɛtɔn
    • Syllabification: sin‧gle‧ton

    Noun

    singleton m inan

    1. (object-oriented programming, software engineering) singleton, singleton pattern (creational design pattern that restricts the instantiation of a class to one object)
      Coordinate term: multiton
    2. (set theory) singleton, unit set, one-point set (set with exactly one element)
      Synonyms: zbiór jednoelementowy, zbiór jednostkowy
    3. (card games) singleton (playing card that is the only one of its suit in a hand, especially at bridge)
      Synonym: singel

    Declension

    Declension of singleton
    singular plural
    nominative singleton singletony
    genitive singletona, singletonu singletonów
    dative singletonowi singletonom
    accusative singleton singletony
    instrumental singletonem singletonami
    locative singletonie singletonach
    vocative singletonie singletony

    Further reading

    • “singleton”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[7] (in Polish)

    Portuguese

    Noun

    singleton m (plural singletons)

    1. (computing) singleton (class that may not be instantiated more than once)

    Romanian

    Etymology

      Borrowed from English singleton.

      Noun

      singleton n (uncountable)

      1. singleton

      Declension

      singular only indefinite definite
      nominative-accusative singleton singletonul
      genitive-dative singleton singletonului
      vocative singletonule

      References

      • singleton in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN
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