English Reference
noun

singer

n.
US /ˈsɪŋɝ/ singer UK spelling singers

  1. 01 A1 Beginner Music

    a person who sings, especially someone who does it as a professional job.

    a person who produces musical sounds with the voice, typically as a professional vocation or trained performer.

    Simple

    The lead singer of the band has a very powerful voice.

    In context

    The opera singer received a standing ovation after her breathtaking performance of the final aria.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate General-service

    a famous brand of machine used for sewing clothes.

    a sewing machine manufactured by the Singer Corporation, often used metonymically to refer to the device itself.

    Simple

    My grandmother still uses her old Singer to mend her dresses.

    In context

    The workshop was filled with the rhythmic humming of several vintage Singers being used to repair heavy canvas sails.

    sewing machine
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Technical

    a person or a machine that lightly burns the surface of something, like fabric.

    an agent or mechanical device employed to singe the surface of a material, such as removing stray fibres from cloth.

    Simple

    The factory used a mechanical singer to smooth the surface of the cotton.

    In context

    In traditional textile manufacturing, the singer plays a crucial role in preparing the fabric for the dyeing process by removing surface fuzz.


From singer. * (sewing machines): Named after American inventor and businessman I. M. Singer, the company founder of Singer Sewing Machines * (motorcars): Named after British entrepreneur and businessman George Singer, the company founder of Singer & Co.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Common
Updated