H. P. Grice, "A singular implicaturum"

singŭlāris , e, adj. singuli.

I. Lit.

A. In gen., one by one, one at a time, alone, single, solitary; alone of its kind, singular (class.; “syn.: unus, unicus): non singulare nec solivagum genus (sc. homines),” i. e. solitary, Cic. Rep. 1, 25, 39: “hostes ubi ex litore aliquos singulares ex navi egredientes conspexerant,” Caes. B. G. 4, 26: “homo,” id. ib. 7, 8, 3; so, “homo (with privatus, and opp. isti conquisiti coloni),” Cic. Agr. 2, 35, 97: “singularis mundus atque unigena,” id. Univ. 4 med.: “praeconium Dei singularis facere,” Lact. 4, 4, 8; cf. Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 26: “natus,” Plin. 28, 10, 42, § 153: “herba (opp. fruticosa),” id. 27, 9, 55, § 78: singularis ferus, a wild boar (hence, Fr. sanglier), Vulg. Psa. 79, 14: “hominem dominandi cupidum aut imperii singularis,” sole command, exclusive dominion, Cic. Rep. 1, 33, 50; so, “singulare imperium et potestas regia,” id. ib. 2, 9, 15: “sunt quaedam in te singularia ... quaedam tibi cum multis communia,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 88, § 206: “singulare beneficium (opp. commune officium civium),” id. Fam. 1, 9, 4: “odium (opp. communis invidia),” id. Sull. 1, 1: “quam invisa sit singularis potentia et miseranda vita,” Nep. Dion, 9, 5: “pugna,” Macr. S. 5, 2: “si quando quid secreto agere proposuisset, erat illi locus in edito singularis,” particular, separate, Suet. Aug. 72.—

B. In partic.

1. In gram., of or belonging to unity, singular: “singularis casus,” Varr. L. L. 7, § 33 Müll.; “10, § 54 ib.: numerus,” Quint. 1, 5, 42; 1, 6, 25; 8, 3, 20; Gell. 19, 8, 13: “nominativus,” Quint. 1, 6, 14: “genitivus,” id. 1, 6, 26 et saep. —Also absol., the singular number: “alii dicunt in singulari hac ovi et avi, alii hac ove et ave,” Varr. L. L. 8, § 66 Müll.; Quint. 8, 6, 28; 4, 5, 25 al.—

2. In milit lang., subst.: singŭlāris , is, m.

a. In gen., an orderly man (ordonance), assigned to officers of all kinds and ranks for executing their orders (called apparitor, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 52): “SINGVLARIS COS (consulis),” Inscr. Orell. 2003; cf. ib. 3529 sq.; 3591; 6771 al.—

b. Esp., under the emperors, equites singulares Augusti, or only equites singulares, a select horse body-guard (selected from barbarous nations, as Bessi, Thraces, Bæti, etc.), Tac. H. 4, 70; Hyg. m. c. §§ 23 and 30; Inscr. Grut. 1041, 12 al.; cf. on the Singulares, Henzen, Sugli Equiti Singolari, Roma, 1850; Becker, Antiq. tom. 3, pass. 2, p. 387 sq.—

3. In the time of the later emperors, singulares, a kind of imperial clerks, sent into the provinces, Cod. Just. 1, 27, 1, § 8; cf. Lyd. Meg. 3, 7.—

II. Trop., singular, unique, matchless, unparalleled, extraordinary, remarkable (syn.: unicus, eximius, praestans; “very freq. both in a good and in a bad sense): Aristoteles meo judicio in philosophiā prope singularis,” Cic. Ac. 2, 43, 132: “Cato, summus et singularis vir,” id. Brut. 85, 293: “vir ingenii naturā praestans, singularis perfectusque undique,” Quint. 12, 1, 25; so, “homines ingenio atque animo,” Cic. Div. 2, 47, 97: “adulescens,” Plin. Ep. 7, 24, 2.—Of things: “Antonii incredibilis quaedam et prope singularis et divina vis ingenii videtur,” Cic. de Or. 1, 38, 172: “singularis eximiaque virtus,” id. Imp. Pomp. 1, 3; so, “singularis et incredibilis virtus,” id. Att. 14, 15, 3; cf. id. Fam. 1, 9, 4: “integritas atque innocentia singularis,” id. Div. in Caecil. 9, 27: “Treviri, quorum inter Gallos virtutis opinio est singularis,” Caes. B. G. 2, 24: “Pompeius gratias tibi agit singulares,” Cic. Fam. 13, 41, 1; cf.: “mihi gratias egistis singularibus verbis,” id. Cat. 4, 3: “fides,” Nep. Att. 4: “singulare omnium saeculorum exemplum,” Just. 2, 4, 6.—In a bad sense: “nequitia ac turpitudo singularis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 106; so, “nequitia,” id. ib. 2, 2, 54, § 134; id. Fin. 5, 20, 56: “impudentia,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 7, § 18: audacia (with scelus incredibile), id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 4, 2, 105: “singularis et nefaria crudelitas,” Caes. B. G. 7, 77.— Hence, adv.: singŭlārĭter (singlā-rĭter , Lucr. 6, 1067).

1. One by one, singly, separately.

a. In gen. (ante- and post-class.): “quae memorare queam inter se singlariter apta, Lucr. l. l. Munro (Lachm. singillariter): a juventā singulariter sedens,” apart, separately, Paul. Nol. Carm. 21, 727.—

b. In partic. (acc. to I. B. 1.), in the singular number: “quod pluralia singulariter et singularia pluraliter efferuntur,” Quint. 1, 5, 16; 1, 7, 18; 9, 3, 20: “dici,” Gell. 19, 8, 12; Dig. 27, 6, 1 al.—

2. (Acc. to II.) Particularly, exceedingly: “aliquem diligere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 47, § 117: “et miror et diligo,” Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 1: “amo,” id. ib. 4, 15, 1.