single-use

adjective

sin·​gle-use ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs How to pronounce single-use (audio)
variants or less commonly single use
: intended or designed to be used once and then discarded
single-use plastics
single-use paper products
Surgical masks are single-use face coverings that are designed to act as a barrier to sneezes or other potential exchanges of germs.Anandi Barker

Examples of single-use in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The latest victor of the water wars is back to basics: spring water in a single-use bottle that fans swear just tastes better. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 30 Apr. 2025 There are no single-use plastics on property, with full-size refillable Aesop bath amenities and complimentary glass bottles of sparkling and still water from Ashigara Seiga replenished daily in every room instead. Amber Gibson, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2025 The other bill would prohibit retailers with more than a dozen stores from offering or making available single-use checkout bags by January 2029. Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025 Here the company saw robust shipments and order rates for single-use biopharma components and triple-digit growth in thermal connector sales. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 Chief among the single-use names is Peter, being St. Peter, the first pope – a name that, per tradition, is unlikely ever again to be used. Christopher Watson, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025 Avoid single-use plastics, such as plastic cutlery, straws, plates and cups. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2025 In the short term, the most noticeable change might be the absence of single-use coffee cups. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025 The most common single-use plastic items included food wrappers, bottles, bottle caps/rings, cigarette butts, wipes, and fragments. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single-use was in 1897

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

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