Definition

1. Noun:
   • A single person or thing considered separately from a group or pair: A "singleton" is an individual item, element, or person that exists alone, not as part of a set, pair, or group.
   • The only card of a particular suit in a hand dealt to a player in the card game bridge: In the context of bridge, a "singleton" is a suit in which a player holds exactly one card after the initial deal.
   • A set with exactly one member: In mathematics and logic, a "singleton" is a set that contains precisely one element.

Usage Examples

• General Use:
  • The museum's collection includes a singleton from that ancient civilization. (The museum possesses a single, unique item from that civilization.)
  • In many cultures, being a singleton child is becoming more common. (Being an only child is increasingly frequent.)
• Card Games (Bridge):
  • I had a singleton club, which influenced my bidding strategy. (Holding only one club card affected my decisions during the auction.)
• Mathematics/Computing:
  • In programming, you might use a singleton pattern to ensure only one instance of a class exists. (This design pattern restricts instantiation to a single object.)
  • The set {7} is a singleton. (This set contains the single element 7.)

Advanced Usage

• "Singleton Pattern": A design pattern in software engineering that restricts the instantiation of a class to one single instance.
  • The configuration manager is implemented as a singleton to provide global access.
• "Singleton Birth": A term used in medicine and demography to describe the birth of one infant, as opposed to twins or multiples.
  • The rate of singleton births has remained stable.

Variants and Related Words

• Single (adj/n): Consisting of or being one only; an individual person or thing.
  • She requested a single room.
• Singular (adj): Exceptionally good or great; remarkable. Also, in grammar, denoting one person or thing.
  • He showed a singular talent for music.
  • The singular form of "mice" is "mouse".

Synonyms

• Individual: A single human being or item as distinct from a group.
• Lone: Having no companions; solitary or single.
• Only: Alone of its or their kind; single or solitary.
• Sole: Being the only one; single.

Antonyms

• Pair: A set of two things used together or regarded as a unit.
• Group: A number of people or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
• Multiple: Having or involving several parts, elements, or members.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "A singleton in the hand": A bridge-specific phrase referring to the strategic advantage or disadvantage of holding a singleton suit.
  • With a singleton in hearts, he decided to finesse.
• "Singleton society": A sociological term referring to a society with a growing number of people living alone or having only one child.
  • The book explores life in the emerging singleton society.

Noun

1. the playing card that is the only card in a suit held in a bridge hand as initially dealt
2. a set containing a single member
3. a single object (as distinguished from a pair)