singleton
n.a single person or thing that is not part of a pair or a group. In computer science, it is also a design pattern where only one instance of an object can exist.
n.an individual item or person that is distinct from a set, pair, or group. In software engineering, refers to a design pattern that restricts the instantiation of a class to one object.
“The database uses a singleton to manage all connections.”
“The teacher noticed a singleton sitting apart from the other students during the group activity.”
“Implementing the logger as a singleton ensures that every module in the application writes to the same file without creating conflicting file handles or redundant memory allocations.”
Commonly used in technical contexts like mathematics, statistics, and software development; in social contexts, it is a neutral term for an unmarried person.
“Neither convinces you she’s quite ready to join their gang – even as this committed singleton’s narrative takes an unexpected turn towards coupledom.”