Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SING'LE-TREE, or SWIN'GLE-TREE, n.

The cross piece to which the traces of a harnessed horse are fixed. A single-tree is fixed upon each end of the double-tree when two horses draw abreast. – Haldeman.

SING'LE-VALV-ED, a.

Having one valve only.

SING'LIN, n.

A single gleaning; a handful of gleaned grain. [Local.]

SING'LING, pp.

Selecting from among a number.

SING'LY, adv.

1. Individually; particularly; as, to make men singly and personally good. – Tillotson.
2. Only; by himself. Look thee, 'tis so, thou singly honest man. – Shak.
3. Without partners, companions or associates; as, to attack another singly. At ombre singly to decide their doom. Dryden.
4. Honestly; sincerely.

SING-SONG, n.

A term for bad singing or cant.

SIN'GU-LAR, a. [Fr. singulier; L. singularis, from singulus, single.]

1. Single; not complex or compound. That idea which represents one determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex or compound. – Watts.
2. In grammar, expressing one person or thing; as, the singular number. The singular number stands opposed to dual and plural.
3. Particular; existing by itself; unexampled; as, a singular phenomenon. Your case is hard, but not singular.
4. Remarkable; eminent; unusual; rare; as, a man of singular gravity, or singular attainments.
5. Not common; odd; implying something censurable or not approved. His zeal / None seconded, as singular and rash. – Milton.
6. Being alone; that of which there is but one. These busts of the emperors and empresses are scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind. – Addison.

SIN'GU-LAR, n.

A particular instance. [Unusual.] – More.

SIN'GU-LAR-IST, n.

One who affects singularity.

SIN-GU-LAR'I-TY, n. [Fr. singularité.]

1. Peculiarity; some character or quality of a thing by which it is distinguished from all, or from most others. Pliny addeth this singularity to that soil, that the second year the very falling of the seeds yieldeth corn. – Addison.
2. An uncommon character or form; something curious or remarkable. I took notice of this little figure for the singularity of the instrument. – Addison.
3. Particular privilege, prerogative or distinction. No bishop of Rome ever took upon him this name of singularity, (universal bishop.) – Hooker. Catholicism … must be understood in opposition to the legal singularity of the Jewish nation. – Pearson.
4. Character or trait of character different from that of others. The singularity of living according to the strict precepts of the Gospel is highly to be commended.
5. Oddity.
6. Celibacy. [Not in use.] – J. Taylor.

SIN'GU-LAR-IZE, v.t.

To make single. [Not in use.]

SIN'GU-LAR-LY, adv.

1. Peculiarly; in a manner or degree not common to others. It is no disgrace to be singularly good.
2. Oddly; strangely.
3. So as to express one or the singular number. – Morton.

SIN'GULT, n. [L. singultus.]

A sigh. [Not in use.]

SIN'IC-AL, a. [from sine.]

Pertaining to a sine.

SIN'IS-TER, a. [L. Probably the primary sense is weak, defective.]

1. Left; on the left hand, or the side of the left hand; opposed to dexter or right; as, the sinister cheek; or the sinister side of an escutcheon.
2. Evil; bad; corrupt; perverse; dishonest; as, sinister means; sinister purpose. He scorns to undermine another's interest by any sinister or inferior arts. – South.
3. Unlucky; inauspicious. – B. Jonson. Sinister aspect, in astrology, an appearance of two planets happening according to the succession of the signs; as Saturn in Aries, and Mars in the same degree of Gemini. Encyc.

SIN'IS-TER-HAND-ED, a.

Left-handed. [Not in use.]

SIN'IS-TER-LY, adv.

Absurdly; perversely; unfairly. – A. Wood.

SIN-IS-TROR'SAL, a. [sinister and Gr. ορσω, to rise.]

Rising from left to right, as a spiral line or helix. – Henry.

SIN'IS-TROUS, a.

1. Being on the left side; inclined to the left. – Brown.
2. Wrong; absurd; perverse. A knave or fool can do no harm, even by the most sinistrous and absurd choice. – Bentley.

SIN'IS-TROUS-LY, adv.

1. Perversely; wrongly.
2. With a tendency to use the left as the stronger hand.

SINK, n. [Sax. sinc.]

1. A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes. – Shak. Hayward.
2. A kind of basin of stone or wood to receive filthy water.

SINK, v.i. [pret. sunk; pp. id. The old pret. sank is nearly obsolete. Sax. sencan, sincan; Goth. sigcwan; G. sinken; D. zinken; Sw. siunka; Dan. synker; coinciding with siege. Class Sg.]

1. To fall by the force of greater gravity, in a medium or substance of less specific gravity; to subside; opposed to swim or float. Some species of wood or timber will sink in water. Oil will not sink in water and many other liquids, for it is specifically lighter. I sink in deep mire. – Ps. lxix.
2. To fall gradually. He sunk down in his chariot. – 2 Kings ix.
3. To enter or penetrate into any body. The stone sunk into his forehead. – 1 Sam. xvii.
4. To fall; to become lower; to subside or settle to a level. The Alps and Pyrenees sink before him. – Addison.
5. To be overwhelmed or depressed. Our country sinks beneath the yoke. – Shak.
6. To enter deeply; to be impressed. Let these sayings sink down into your ears. – Luke ix.
7. To become deep; to retire or fall within the surface of any thing; as, the eyes sink into the head.
8. To fall; to decline; to decay; to decrease. A free state gradually sinks into ruin. It is the duty of government to revive a sinking commerce. Let not the fire sink or slacken. – Mortimer.
9. To fall into rest or indolence; as, to sink away in pleasing dreams. – Addison.
10. To be lower; to fall; as, the price of land will sink in time of peace.

SINK, v.t.

1. To put under water; to immerse in a fluid; as, to sink a ship.
2. To make by digging or delving; as, to sink a pit or a well.
3. To depress; to degrade. His vices sink him in infamy, or in public estimation.
4. To plunge into destruction. If I have a conscience, let it sink me. – Shak.
5. To cause to fall or to be plunged. – Woodward.
6. To bring low; to reduce in quantity. You sunk the river with repeated draughts. – Addison.
7. To depress; to overbear; to crush. This would sink the spirit of a hero.
8. To diminish; to lower or lessen; to degrade. I mean not that we should sink our figure out of covetousness. – Rogers.
9. To cause to decline or fail. Thy cruel and unnat'ral lust of power / Has sunk thy father more than all his years. – Rowe.
10. To suppress; to conceal; to intervert. If sent with ready money to buy any thing, and you happen to be out of pocket, sink the money, and take up the goods on account. [Unusual.] – Swift.
11. To depress; to lower in value or amount. Great importations may sink the price of goods.
12. To reduce; to pay; to diminish or annihilate by payment; as, to sink the national debt.
13. To waste; to dissipate; as, to sink an estate.

SINK'ING, ppr.

Falling; subsiding; depressing; declining. Sinking fund, in finance, a fund created for sinking or paying a public debt, or purchasing the stock for the government.

SIN'LESS, a. [from sin.]

1. Free from sin; pure; perfect. Christ yielded a sinless obedience.
2. Free from sin; innocent; as, a sinless soul. – Dryden.