Single \Sin"gle\, a. [L. singulus, a dim. from the root in
   simplex simple; cf. OE. & OF. sengle, fr. L. singulus. See
   {Simple}, and cf. {Singular}.]
   1. One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting
      of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.
      
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            No single man is born with a right of controlling
            the opinions of all the rest.         --Pope.
      
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   2. Alone; having no companion.
      
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            Who single hast maintained,
            Against revolted multitudes, the cause
            Of truth.                             --Milton.
      
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   3. Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.
      
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            Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.
                                                  --Shak.
      
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            Single chose to live, and shunned to wed. --Dryden.
      
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   4. Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others;
      as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.
      
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   5. Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single
      combat.
      
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            These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . .
            Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight.
                                                  --Milton.
      
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   6. Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
      
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            Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to
            compound.                             --I. Watts.
      
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   7. Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.
      
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            I speak it with a single heart.       --Shak.
      
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   8. Simple; not wise; weak; silly. [Obs.]
      
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            He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.
                                                  --Beau. & Fl.
      
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   {Single ale}, {Single beer}, or {Single drink}, small ale,
      etc., as contrasted with {double ale}, etc., which is
      stronger. [Obs.] --Nares.

   {Single bill} (Law), a written engagement, generally under
      seal, for the payment of money, without a penalty.
      --Burril.

   {Single court} (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for only two
      players.

   {Single-cut file}. See the Note under 4th {File}.

   {Single entry}. See under {Bookkeeping}.

   {Single file}. See under 1st {File}.

   {Single flower} (Bot.), a flower with but one set of petals,
      as a wild rose.

   {Single knot}. See Illust. under {Knot}.

   {Single whip} (Naut.), a single rope running through a fixed
      block.
      
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File \File\ (f[imac]l), n. [AS. fe['o]l; akin to D. viji, OHG.
   f[imac]la, f[imac]hala, G. feile, Sw. fil, Dan. fiil, cf.
   Icel. [thorn][=e]l, Russ. pila, and Skr. pi[,c] to cut out,
   adorn; perh. akin to E. paint.]
   1. A steel instrument, having cutting ridges or teeth, made
      by indentation with a chisel, used for abrading or
      smoothing other substances, as metals, wood, etc.
      
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   Note: A file differs from a rasp in having the furrows made
         by straight cuts of a chisel, either single or crossed,
         while the rasp has coarse, single teeth, raised by the
         pyramidal end of a triangular punch.
         
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   2. Anything employed to smooth, polish, or rasp, literally or
      figuratively.
      
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            Mock the nice touches of the critic's file.
                                                  --Akenside.
      
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   3. A shrewd or artful person. [Slang] --Fielding.
      
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            Will is an old file in spite of his smooth face.
                                                  --Thackeray.
      
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   {Bastard file}, {Cross file}, etc. See under {Bastard},
      {Cross}, etc.

   {Cross-cut file}, a file having two sets of teeth crossing
      obliquely.

   {File blank}, a steel blank shaped and ground ready for
      cutting to form a file.

   {File cutter}, a maker of files.

   {Second-cut file}, a file having teeth of a grade next finer
      than bastard.

   {Single-cut file}, a file having only one set of parallel
      teeth; a float.

   {Smooth file}, a file having teeth so fine as to make an
      almost smooth surface.
      
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