sin·gu·lar /ˈsɪŋgjəlɚ/
 (a.)單數的;非凡的,卓越的


 singular
 奇異


 Sin·gu·lar a.
 1. Separate or apart from others; single; distinct. [Obs.]
 And God forbid that all a company
 Should rue a singular man's folly.   --Chaucer.
 2. Engaged in by only one on a side; single. [Obs.]
    To try the matter thus together in a singular combat.   --Holinshed.
 3. Logic Existing by itself; single; individual.
    The idea which represents one . . . determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex, or compound.   --I. Watts.
 4. Law Each; individual; as, to convey several parcels of land, all and singular.
 5. Gram. Denoting one person or thing; as, the singular number; -- opposed to dual and plural.
 6. Standing by itself; out of the ordinary course; unusual; uncommon; strange; as, a singular phenomenon.
 So singular a sadness
 Must have a cause as strange as the effect.   --Denham.
 7. Distinguished as existing in a very high degree; rarely equaled; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional; as, a man of singular gravity or attainments.
 8. Departing from general usage or expectations; odd; whimsical; -- often implying disapproval or censure.
 His zeal
 None seconded, as out of season judged,
 Or singular and rash.   --Milton.
    To be singular in anything that is wise and worthy, is not a disparagement, but a praise.   --Tillotson.
 9. Being alone; belonging to, or being, that of which there is but one; unique.
    These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.   --Addison.
 Singular point in a curve Math., a point at which the curve possesses some peculiar properties not possessed by other points of the curve, as a cusp point, or a multiple point.
 Singular proposition Logic, a proposition having as its subject a singular term, or a common term limited to an individual by means of a singular sign. --Whately.
 Singular succession Civil Law, division among individual successors, as distinguished from universal succession, by which an estate descended in intestacy to the heirs in mass.
 Singular term Logic, a term which represents or stands for a single individual.
 Syn: -- Unexampled; unprecedented; eminent; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon; rare; unusual; peculiar; strange; odd; eccentric; fantastic.


 Sin·gu·lar, n.
 1. An individual instance; a particular. [Obs.]
 2. Gram The singular number, or the number denoting one person or thing; a word in the singular number.

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 singular
      adj 1: unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is
             singular in one so young" [syn: remarkable]
      2: beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious
         hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have
         some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the
         peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely
         queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular
         behavior" [syn: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer,
          rum, rummy]
      3: being a single and separate person or thing; "can the
         singular person be understood apart from his culture?";
         "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any
         other fact and sole of its kind"-William James
      4: grammatical number category referring to a single item or
         unit [ant: plural]
      5: the single one of its kind; "a singular example"; "the
         unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"; "a unique
         copy of an ancient manuscript"; "certain types of problems
         have unique solutions" [syn: unique]
      n : the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton [syn:
          singular form] [ant: plural]