Definition

Noun: A punctuation mark consisting of a single raised comma, used primarily to enclose a quotation within a quotation, to indicate a quote within a headline or title, or to denote linguistic examples or special terms. It is identical in form to an apostrophe.

Usage

The single quote is used as a punctuation mark. It is often used in pairs to enclose text. * In American English, double quotes are standard for direct speech, and single quotes are used for a quote within that quote. * In British English, this convention is often reversed, with single quotes used for direct speech. * Single quotes are also used to highlight words, indicate irony, or denote technical terms.

Examples

• The witness stated, "I clearly heard him say, 'I will not go,' before the door slammed." (Quote within a quote in American English)
• The headline read: 'Miracle' rescue at sea. (Highlighting a word in a headline)
• In linguistics, the word 'cat' is a noun. (Denoting a word as an example)
• The so-called 'experts' were wrong. (Indicating irony or skepticism)

Advanced Usage

• In Programming and Computing: Single quotes are used in many programming languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript) to denote string literals or character constants. Their meaning is strictly defined by the language syntax.
  • Example: char initial = 'A'; (In C programming, a single character is enclosed in single quotes.)
• Typography: In professional typesetting, different glyphs exist for the opening single quote (‘) and the closing single quote (’), which are distinct from the apostrophe ('). However, on standard keyboards, the same key is used for all three.

Variants and Related Words

• Quotation mark: The general term for punctuation marks used to denote speech or quotation. Single quotes are one type.
• Apostrophe: A punctuation mark (') identical in form to the typewriter single quote, used to indicate possession or the omission of letters.
• Double quote: A punctuation mark (") used as the primary quotation mark in American English.

Synonyms

• Inverted comma (chiefly British English)
• Quote (informal, can refer to single or double)

Related Phrases and Idioms

• In quotes: Used to suggest that a term is being used in a special, often ironic or non-literal, sense.
  • He gave me his "help," which meant doing nothing. (Here, double quotes are more common, but single quotes can be used for the same effect: He gave me his 'help'...)
• Scare quotes: The use of quotation marks to express doubt, skepticism, or to indicate that a term is jargon or being used in an unusual way. Single quotes are frequently used for this purpose.
  • The politician promised a "transparent" process. (Often seen as The politician promised a 'transparent' process.)

Noun

1. a single quotation mark