Part 415

Single ale, beer, or 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.

Sin"gle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Singled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Singling (?).] 1. To select, as an individual person or thing, from among a number; to choose out from others; to separate.

Dogs who hereby can single out their master in the dark.

Bacon.

His blood! she faintly screamed her mind Still singling one from all mankind.

More.

2. To sequester; to withdraw; to retire. [Obs.]

An agent singling itself from consorts.

Hooker.

3. To take alone, or one by one.

Men . . . commendable when they are singled.

Hooker.

Sin"gle, v. i. To take the irrregular gait called single-foot;- said of a horse. See Single- foot.

Many very fleet horses, when overdriven, adopt a disagreeable gait, which seems to be a cross between a pace and a trot, in which the two legs of one side are raised almost but not quite, simultaneously. Such horses are said to single, or to be single-footed.

W. S. Clark.

Sin"gle, n. 1. A unit; one; as, to score a single.

2. pl. The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.

3. A handful of gleaned grain. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

4. (Law Tennis) A game with but one player on each side; -- usually in the plural.

5. (Baseball) A hit by a batter which enables him to reach first base only.

Sin"gle-act`ing (?), a. Having simplicity of action; especially (Mach.), acting or exerting force during strokes in one direction only; -- said of a reciprocating engine, pump, etc.

Sin"gle-breast`ed (?), a. Lapping over the breast only far enough to permit of buttoning, and having buttons on one edge only; as, a single-breasted coast.

Sin"gle-foot` (?), n. An irregular gait of a horse; -- called also single-footed pace. See Single, v. i.

Single-foot is an irregular pace, rather rare, distinguished by the posterior extremities moving in the order of a fast walk, and the anterior extremities in that of a slow trot.

Stillman (The Horse in Motion.)

Sin"gle-hand"ed (?), a. Having but one hand, or one workman; also, alone; unassisted.

Sin"gle-heart"ed (?), a. Having an honest heart; free from duplicity. -- Sin"gle- heart"ed*ly, adv.

Sin"gle-mind"ed (?), a. Having a single purpose; hence, artless; guileless; single-hearted.