Sin·gle a.
 1. One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.
    No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest.   --Pope.
 2. Alone; having no companion.
 Who single hast maintained,
 Against revolted multitudes, the cause
 Of truth.   --Milton.
 3. Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.
    Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.   --Shak.
    Single chose to live, and shunned to wed.   --Dryden.
 4. Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.
 5. Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat.
 These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . .
 Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight.   --Milton.
 6. Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
    Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound.   --I. Watts.
 7. Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.
    I speak it with a single heart.   --Shak.
 8. Simple; not wise; weak; silly. [Obs.]
    He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.   --Beau. & Fl.
 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.
 File n.
 1. An orderly succession; a line; a row; as: (a) (Mil.) A row of soldiers ranged one behind another; -- in contradistinction to rank, which designates a row of soldiers standing abreast; a number consisting the depth of a body of troops, which, in the ordinary modern formation, consists of two men, the battalion standing two deep, or in two ranks.
 Note: ☞ The number of files in a company describes its width, as the number of ranks does its depth; thus, 100 men in “fours deep” would be spoken of as 25 files in 4 ranks.
 (b) An orderly collection of papers, arranged in sequence or classified for preservation and reference; as, files of letters or of newspapers; this mail brings English files to the 15th instant. (c) The line, wire, or other contrivance, by which papers are put and kept in order.
    It is upon a file with the duke's other letters.   --Shak.
 (d) A roll or list. “A file of all the gentry.”
 2. Course of thought; thread of narration. [Obs.]
    Let me resume the file of my narration.   --Sir H. Wotton.
 File firing, the act of firing by file, or each file independently of others.
 File leader, the soldier at the front of any file, who covers and leads those in rear of him.
 File marching, the marching of a line two deep, when faced to the right or left, so that the front and rear rank march side by side. --Brande & C.  --Indian file, or Single file, a line of people marching one behind another; a single row.  Also used adverbially; as, to march Indian file.
 On file, preserved in an orderly collection; recorded in some database.
 Rank and file. (a) The body of soldiers constituting the mass of an army, including corporals and privates. --Wilhelm. (b) Those who constitute the bulk or working members of a party, society, etc., in distinction from the leaders.
 single file
      n : a line of persons or things ranged one behind the other
          [syn: file, Indian file]