singly

Everyday

1. Singly means one at a time, or one by one, not in a group. tree →
2. Singly means alone, on its own. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life: "Enter singly." In science: some animals live singly, others in groups. In shops: items sold singly or in packs (useful in maths price problems). Phrases: singly or in pairs, sold singly.

Examples

• The pupils came in singly. tree →
• The bananas are sold singly or in bunches. tree →
• Tigers usually live singly. tree →
• Plant the seeds singly, 5 cm apart. tree →
• Answer the questions singly, not all together. tree →
• The guests arrived singly or in pairs. tree →

Note

From single. Spelling: singly (not "singlely"). In maths: compare price singly with price in a pack — e.g. 30p each singly or 1 pound for a pack of 4, so the pack is cheaper per item (25p).