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, id. 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, Baeti, 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 ( Luc. ), 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, id. 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.