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solitary

Pronunciation: /ˈsɒlɪt(ə)ri/

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Definition of solitary

adjective

  • 1done or existing alone:I live a pretty solitary life tigers are essentially solitary
  • (of a place) secluded or isolated:solitary farmsteads
  • (of a bird, mammal, or insect) living alone or in pairs, especially in contrast to related social forms:a solitary wasp
  • (of a flower or other part) borne singly: each spider-like bloom is solitary
  • 2 [attributive, often with negative] single; only:we have not a solitary shred of evidence to go on

noun (plural solitaries)

  • 1a recluse or hermit: he had something of the solitary about him

Derivatives

solitarily

adverb

solitariness

noun

Origin:

Middle English: from Latin solitarius, from solus 'alone'

solitary in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of solitary in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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