singled

Singled is the past tense and past participle of the verb single. In general use, to single someone or something means to pick out or distinguish one person or item from a group, or to set apart as distinct. This sense is common in phrases such as singled out, where a person or element is highlighted or chosen for praise or critique.

In addition to this figurative meaning, singled has a specific technical meaning in baseball. When a player "singles," they hit a single—the ball lands in play and allows the batter to reach first base safely, typically without the ball going out of the infield. The past tense, "singled," is used to describe events in prior innings, e.g., "He singled in the seventh inning."

Etymologically, singled derives from the adjective single, which comes from the Latin singulus meaning one or one at a time. The verb sense to single (to select or isolate) evolved over time and gave rise to phrases like single out.

Usage notes: singled is regular in its inflection, with the same form used for both past tense and past participle in standard English. It is commonly followed by prepositional phrases or direct objects, as in singled out by the committee or singled to the base.

See also: single, singled out, base hit, baseball terminology.