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Rather queer; somewhat singular.

Clothing in general; vesture; garments; -- usually singular in form, with a collective sense. Living, both food and raiment she supplies. Dryden.

cone on entering the crystal, from which it issues in the form of a hollow cylinder. This singular phenomenon was first discovered by Sir W. R. Hamilton by mathematical reasoning alone, unaided by experiment. -- Differential refraction (Astron.), the change of the apparent place of one object relative to a second obje…

worn by the officers and soldiers of a regiment; military dress; -- formerly used in the singular in the same sense. Colman.

e statement thereof; thus, it is a rule in England, that s or es , added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that noun; but "man" forms its plural "men", and is an exception to the rule.

The suffix used to form the third person singular indicative of English verbs; as in the falls, tells, sends.

A pair of shears; -- now always used in the plural, but formerly also in the singular. See Shears. On his head came razor none, nor shear. Chaucer. Short of the wool, and naked from the shear. Dryden.

Singularly; peculiarly. [Obs.] Milton.

Either one of two species of singular West Indian insectivores, allied to the tenrec. One species (Solendon paradoxus), native of St. Domingo, is called also agouta; the other (S. Cubanus), found in Cuba, is called almique.

About; near; more or less; -- used commonly with numerals, but formerly also with a singular substantive of time or distance; as, a village of some eighty houses; some two or three persons; some hour hence. Shak. The number slain on the rebel's part were some two thousand. Bacon.

A machine of several forms for the same purpose; -- used in the singular.

e story of a house to another; -- commonly used in the plural; but originally used in the singular only. "I a winding stair found." Chaucer's Dream. Below stairs, in the basement or lower part of a house, where the servants are. -- Flight of stairs, the stairs which make the whole ascent of a story. -- Pair of stairs…

A genus of tropical apocynaceous shrubs having singularly twisted flowers. One species (Strophanthus hispidus) is used medicinally as a cardiac sedative and stimulant.

Having a short, thick tail. Stump-tailed lizard (Zoöl.), a singular Australian scincoid lizard (Trachydosaurus rugosus) having a short, thick tail resembling its head in form; -- called also sleeping lizard.

beetle (Zoöl.), any small lustrous beetle of the genus Amara. -- Sun bittern (Zoöl.), a singular South American bird (Eurypyga helias), in some respects related both to the rails and herons. It is beautifully variegated with white, brown, and black. Called also sunbird, and tiger bittern. -- Sun fever (Med.), the co…

Belief in the direct agency of superior powers in certain extraordinary or singular events, or in magic, omens, prognostics, or the like.

and make definite, a person or thing spoken of, or alluded to, before, and may be either singular or plural. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame. Prov. ix. 7. A judgment that is equal and impartial must incline to the greater probabilities. Bp. Wilkins.

The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; thyself; the pronoun which is used in addressing persons in the solemn or poetical style. Art thou he that should come Matt. xi. 3.

to the knee or to the ankle, and covering each leg separately. pants; used attrib. in the singular, as a trouser leg; see pant

. . . our dainties and delicates here at Rome . . . call them unions, as a man would say "singular," and by themselves alone. Holland. In the cup an union shall he throw, Richer than that which four successive kings In Denmark's crown have worn. Shak.