singlets

Noun

singlet (plural singlets)

1. A multiplet having a single member, especially a single spectroscopic peak.
2. (quantum mechanics) A quantum state having zero spin.
   • When a ground state molecule absorbs a photon, the values of the electron spins are not altered and thus the primary excited state is the singlet state.2003, Timothy M. Cox, 90: Protoporphyria, Karl M. Kadish, Kevin M. Smith, Roger Guilard, (editors), The Porphyrin Handbook, Volume 14: Medical Aspects of Porphyrins, page 132
3. (multiplicity slang) A person who does not have a form of multiplicity; a single self or personality occupying one human body.
   • Singlet and monocultural identity is so normalized that many voice hearers and plurals don’t share their experiences with anyone, living in isolation (and sometimes in poverty) and spending considerable inner resources to manage postures and performances of ‘mental health’.2016, Lori F. Clarke, “Embracing Polyphony: Voices, Improvisation, and the Hearing Voices Network”, in Intersectionalities: A Global Journal of 2016 Social Work Analysis, Research, Polity, and...

   Antonyms:

   multiple, system

4. (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, UK) A sleeveless buttonless shirt with a low-cut neck.
   • Winston wrenched his body out of bed — naked, for a member of the Outer Party received only 3,000 clothing coupons annually, and a suit of pyjamas was 600 — and seized a dingy singlet and a pair of shorts that were lying across a chair.1949, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, page 28

   Synonyms:

   undershirt, vest

5. A one-piece, tight-fitting uniform, usually made of spandex or nylon, required in wrestling and powerlifting.