solitary

SOL'ITARY, adjective [Latin solitarius, from solus, alone.] 1. Living alone; not having company. Some of the more ferocious animals are solitary seldom or never being found in flocks or herds. Thus the lion is called a solitary animal. Those rare and solitary these in flocks. 2. Retired; remote from society; not having company, or not much frequented; as a solitary residence or place. 3. Lonely; destitute of company; as a solitary life. 4. Gloomy; still; dismal. Let that night be solitary let no joyful voice come therein. Job 3:7. 5. Single; as a solitary instance of vengeance; a solitary example. 6. In botany, separate; one only in a place; as a solitary stipule. A solitary flower is when there is only one to each peduncle; a solitary seed, when there is only one in a pericarp. SOL'ITARY, noun One that lives alone of in solitude; a hermit; a recluse.