| 释义 |
▪ I. only, a.|ˈəʊnlɪ|
Forms: 1 ǽnlíc, ánlíc, 3–4 onlich, -lych, (superl. onlukest), 4 oonlich, onelich, -lych, -lyk; north. anli, anly, aneli, 4–5 anely; 4–5 oonli, 4–6 oonly, onlie, 4– only, (5 ounly, ondly, ondely, wonly, wonlych, 5–7 onlye, 5–8 onely, 6 onelye, 6–7 onelie).
[a. OE. ánlíc unique, solitary, only, a later form of ǽnlíc unique, singular, excellent, f. an, one + -líc, -ly1.]
1. One, without companions or society; solitary, lonely. Now only dial.
a1000Ags. Ps. (Spelman) xxiv. 17 ᵹemildsa me, forðan ænlic and ðearfa ic eom. c1000Ags. Ps. (Th.) ci. 5 Ic spearuwan.. ᵹelice ᵹewearð, anlicum fuᵹele. a1225Ancr. R. 90 Ancre hus, þet schulde beon onlukest stude of alle. Ibid. 152 So ouh ancre, hire one in onliche stude..chirmen & cheateren euer hire bonen. a1300E.E. Psalter xxiv. 16 Aneli and pouer am I. 13..Cursor M. 3075 (Cott.) An anli liuelade þar þai ledde. c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 110 He wolde in comunalte do þis dede and not þus oonli in desert. a1500Chester Pl. ii. 129 Hit is not good man onely to be. 1582Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 91 His oane light, That stood in his lowring front gloommish malleted onlye. 1642Rogers Naaman 9 Onely Denus and Demaris a poore only man and only woman, being excepted. 1828Craven Gloss. (ed. 2), Onely, Onerly, lonely, retired. ‘This is an onely platt to live in’. a1865E. Waugh ‘Come whoam to thi childer’, Mon, aw'm one-ly when theaw artn't theer.
2. a. One (or, by extension, two or more), of which there exist no more, or no others, of the kind.
Usually preceded by the or a poss. pron. or case.
c1000Ags. Gosp. Luke ix. 38 He is min anlica sunu. c1160Hatton G. ibid., He ys min anliche sune. c1375Cursor M. 26549 (Fairf.) In his sone crist ihesu, our aller anly [Cott. anlepi] lorde. 1526Tindale Luke vii. 12 The only sonne of his mother, and she was a widowe. 1559Bk. Com. Prayer Morn. Prayer, The onely ruler of princes. 1584D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 3 The onelie occasion he tooke. 1633G. Herbert Temple, Aaron iii, Christ is my onely head, My alone onely heart & breast. 1654tr. Martini's Conq. China 189 The onely Southern Port..to which Boats may have access. 1703Rowe Ulyss. ii. i. 801 Hear a Wretches only Pray'r. 1854A. Jameson Bk. Th. (1877) 347 Eve..is the only undraped figure which is allowable in sacred art. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 338 These two passages are the only ones in which Plato makes mention of himself.
b. In later use, in reference to relationship, also preceded by an, and used with a plural; as an only child, an only brother, only children; so only-childish adj., characteristic or suggestive of an only child; only-childishness, only-childism, the fact or state of being an only child.
1670Dryden 2nd Pt. Conq. Granada iii. ii, What cannot only sons with parents do! 1768Goldsm. Good-n. Man i. i, An only son, sir, might expect more indulgence. 1821Byron Diary in Note to Juan i. xxxvii, My wife..and myself are..only children. 1879M. E. Braddon Clov. Foot v, This only son of the Vicar's was a thorn in his side. 1927Times 29 Dec. 7/3 They might come to speak, not of drink, but of ‘only-childism’, as the greatest curse of this country. 1928Daily Tel. 11 Sept. 11/6 Dr. Gillespie alluded to ‘Only childishness’... It had been suggested that only children were peculiarly liable to become neurotic. 1938E. Bowen Death of Heart iii. ii. 341 A face at a window for no reason is a face that should have a thumb in its mouth: there is something only-childish about it. 1949― Heat of Day iii. 57 Anything that savoured of only-childishness.
†c. absol. = only one, only ones; in OE. = darling.
a1000Ags. Ps. (Spelman) xxi. 19 Of handa hundes ða ænlican mine [= unicam meam]. 1609Bible (Douay) Song Sol. vi. 8 She is the only to her mother, elect to her that bare her. 1678Dryden All for Love Pref. b, It is the only of the kind without Episode, or Underplot. 1693― Juvenal Ded. (1697) 11 Suppose that Homer and Virgil were the only of their Species.
3. Single, one. † any only = any one (obs.); one only, one single, only one, one and no more, one and no other.
1485Caxton Paris & V. 34 Wythout leuing of ony onely thynge or word. 1490― Eneydos ix. 36 Wyth one onely stroke thou haste wylled to termyne and fynysshe thy labours mortall. 1543Grafton Contn. Harding 476 Anye onely kyndenes so sodenly contracted in an house. 1571Digges Pantom. iii. xi. R iv, I shall for breuitie sake set foorth one onely rule generall. 1604E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. xx. 183 Vpon all that coast it blowes continually with one onely winde. c1630Risdon Surv. Devon (1810) 13 This country hath one only deanery. 1832F. Trollope Dom. Manners Amer. i. (1839) 2 One only object rears itself above the eddying waters: this is the mast of a vessel long since wrecked. 1850Gladstone Glean. (1879) II. 95 In the Consalvo, a dying youth..abandoned by all but the object of his love, entreats of her the parting gift of an only kiss.
†4.
a. Said of that of which, by itself, without anything else, something is predicated; (the thing in question) acting alone; mere, sole. Obs.
c1400Cato's Mor. 131 in Cursor M., Sin þou art doutande..nedderres for venim, Mare mai þou be agast of anli man vn-wrast, and warre þe for him. a1425Cursor M. 8439 (Trin.) Bi grace of only god of heuen Soone he coude þe artes seuen. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 277/1 Our only feyth shalle suffyse us. c1523More Let. to Wolsey in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. I. 206 The onely redyng therof held hym above twoo howres. 1544T. Phaer Regim. Lyfe (1560) X v b, The onely odour of quicksilver killeth lice. a1619M. Fotherby Atheom. i. xv. §2 (1622) 155 All this fell vpon them, for the onely impietie of their Prince. [1854–6Patmore Angel in Ho. ii. ii. i, For the sake of only love,..he does approve, His wife entirely.]
†b. Placed between a demonstrative or possessive adj. or poss. case and its n., or before a n. followed by an of-phrase: referring to the n. as thus qualified. Obs.
c1449Pecock Repr. iii. v. 306 Endewid into his oonli sufficience. 1509Hawes Past. Pleas. xxix. (Percy Soc.) 139, I must abyde..Of lyfe or death your onely judgement. 1558in Vicary's Anat. (1888) App. 186 To the onlye vse and behoufe of the said Thomas Vycary. a1563Bale Sel. Wks. (Parker Soc.) 201 At the Priest's only provocation was it. 1577Holinshed Chron., Hist. Scot. 343 At the charges & only expenses of these .vi. abbeyes. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xxx. 118 Maintained at the Kings onely charge. 1653Holcroft Procopius, Pers. Wars i. 3 These onely Hunnes have white bodies. 1709Addison Tatler No. 117 ⁋4 She was turned into a Man, and by that only Means avoided the Danger. 1741Middleton Cicero I. Pref. 35 The power was retained; with this onely difference, that [etc.].
5. Unique in quality, character, rank, etc.; peerless, preëminent. In OE. in form ǽnlíc. In mod.Eng. from 16th c., only as hyperbolic use of 2, = ‘the only one to be counted, reckoned, or considered’; with superl. onliest (arch. or dial.). onlie begetter [f. begetter 2, quot. 1606], the sole originator.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxxv. §6 He hæfde an swiþe ænlic wif. 1552R. Ascham in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 12 If Lerning, Counsell, Nobilitie, Courte, and Cambridge, shold have bene all punisshed at ones by taking away..soch a general & onely man as Mr. Cheeke is. 1581Mulcaster Positions (1887) 30 It was either the onely, or the onelyest, principle in learning, to learne to read Latin. 1602Shakes. Ham. iii. ii. 131 Your onely Iigge-maker. 1651Lilly Chas. I (1774) 224 She had been the only stately and magnificent woman of Europe. 1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. ii. lxxv. (1674) 227 When she subscribed her name..[she] added (as she had good reason to do) the only Unfortunate. 1691Wood Ath. Oxon. II. 486 He was..accounted..the onliest person to be consulted about the affairs. 1778Foote Trip Calais i. Wks. 1799 II. 344 It is the onliest method to keep her to one's self. 1866G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. x. (1878) 173 The only man in the world ceased to be the friend of the only woman in the world. 1890‘Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer (1891) 375 The kindest, wisest, ‘onliest’ thing, under the circumstances. 1907Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 1136/2 Comic and humorous songs... Ma Onliest One. 1929H. W. Odum in A. Dundes Mother Wit (1973) 190 Onliest way could git him. 1937N. Marsh Vintage Murder vii. 81 The Firm..was founded and built up by Mr Meyer... He was..the onlie begetter. 1969Australasian Post 19 June 40/3 Isadora Duncan was..the onlie begetter of all the trends in ‘free dance’ which are now so familiar to us. 1971Black World Oct. 62/1 The onliest time I had to say something bout it was when he was playin checkers on the stoop one time and he commenst to hummin. 1972Daily Tel. 30 Mar. 6/7 Stalin's onlie begetter and mentor in murder—Lenin. 1973Times Lit. Suppl. 2 Mar. 228/1 The enigmatic personality of [Citizen] Kane's onlie begetter. 1975Times 14 July 13/3 William Robson, Professor Emeritus of Public Administration, University of London, and ‘the onlie begetter’ of The Political Quarterly.
▪ II. only, adv., conj. (prep.)|ˈəʊnlɪ|
Forms: α. 3–5 onliche, 4 onelych, -lyk, onlike, 4–5 -lyche, oon-, 5 won-. β. 4 anli, aneli, -ly; 4–5 oonli, 4–6 -ly; 5–7 onely, 5– only, (5 ond(e)ly).
[ME. (south. and south. midl.) ônliche, f. ônlich, only a., with advb. -e (see -ly2); in more northern dialects the adv. was in form indistinguishable from the adj., which from c 1400 became the fact also in Standard Engl. In OE. the adv. is cited only in the form ǽnlíce splendidly, elegantly; cf. only a.]
A. adv.
1. As a single or solitary thing or fact; no one or nothing more or else than; nothing but; alone; solely, merely, exclusively. Only may limit the statement to a single or defined person, thing, or number (a) as distinguished from more, or (b) as opposed to any other.
a. Preceding the word or phrase which it limits.
α1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 1513 Þe king louede is wif..so vaste Þat al is herte onliche on hire on he caste. c1330R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 2370 He ne askede non oþer þyng, Bot onlike his doughter ȝyng. 13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 1749 Heȝest of alle oþer, saf onelych tweyne. 1390Gower Conf. I. 317, I speke onliche as of the dede, Of which I nevere was coupable. c1420Chron. Vilod. 882 Bot duden wonlyche after þe devellys rede. a1450Myrc 656 Þer nys no mon..Þat may þat do but onlyche he.
βc1375Cursor M. 13737 (Fairf.) Anli he wiþ-outen synne. c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋503 (Petw.) For þat apperteneþ & longeþ oonly [other texts al oonly] to the Iuges. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. xix. (1495) 779 The camell hath not teeth in eyther Iowe but oonli bynethe. c1440Promp. Parv. 366/1 Only, solomodo. 1447O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) 53 Al this thou dost that ondly in the I schuld trust lorde. 1535Coverdale Tobit x. 5 All y⊇ thinges that we haue are onely in the. 1545in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) I. 213 Discharged of all rents..except oonly a redd rose to be given to yem. a1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV 240 b, All these faire wordes, wer onely delaies to protracte tyme. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 432, I wil haue nothing else but onely this. 1611Beaum. & Fl. Knt. Burn. Pestle ii. ii, Now fortune, if thou be'st not only ill, Shew me thy better face. 1627E. F. Hist. Edw. II (1680) 96 'Tis onely one. 1651Baxter Inf. Bapt. 5 God doth not reveal his truth onely or chiefly to the learned. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 156 ⁋14 To distinguish..that which is established because it is right, from that which is right only because it is established. 1805T. Harral Scenes of Life I. 194 It is true, I have been only twice. 1845M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 17 One of those devoted..attachments, of which only a mother or nurse is thought capable. 1899Literary Guide 1 Oct. 146/2 Certain doctrines were imparted only to initiates.
b. Following the word or phrase which it limits.
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 1338 Bot þe world prayses nan, bot þa anly Þat til alle worldes welthes er happy. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 310 To haue crist oonliche heere patroun. c1485E.E. Misc. (Warton Club) 25 On thi God wonly set thin herte. 1535Coverdale Ecclus. xxiv. 34, I haue not laboured for my self onely. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. vi. 47 Loke upon the best thynges, eyther onely or chiefly. 1655Marquis of Worcester Cent. Inv. in Dircks Life (1865) 416 To raise Water with two Buckets onely. 1763J. Brown Poetry & Mus. vi. 104 What belongs to Nature only, Nature only can complete. 1838Lytton Leila i. iii, In one only of the casements. 1876Mozley Univ. Serm. iv. (1877) 94 His human character is not benevolence only.
† Only between a numeral and n. is now obs.
c1555Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (Camden) 59 Their second counsell of Toledo..being..of eight only bishops. 1624Bedell Lett. vi. 92 In two onely leaues of his booke, a certaine..Scholler did discouer thirtie..falsifications. 1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. ii. xiv. (1674) 152 Amidst as many..Silver Balls as there are Sciences, three only Golden Balls are placed.
c. Only was formerly often placed away from the word or words which it limited; this is still frequent in speech where the stress and pauses prevent ambiguity, but is now avoided by perspicuous writers.
1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 333 b/1 Luke is only with me. a1540Cromwell in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 165 Unto the whiche God I have onlye commyttyd my sowlle. 1598R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. iii. iv. (1622) 69 Vipsania his mother died, onely of all Agrippas children, of a naturall death. 1660–1Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 51, I onely write this word to let you know that [etc.]. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 786 When Beasts were only slain for Sacrifice. 1703Rowe Fair Penit. ii. ii, Brutes and boys are only taught with blows. 1721St. German's Doctor & Stud. 28 The eldest son shall only inherit his father. 1833Tennyson Lady Clara Vere de Vere vii, 'Tis only noble to be good. 1875Jowett Plato I. 282, I only asked the question from habit.
d. not only{ddd}but, but also.
1340Ayenb. 265 Naȝt onlyche beuore gode ac be-uore alle men. c1375Cursor M. 338 (Fairf.) He wroȝt noȝt anly wit his hande bot sayde wit worde. 1390Gower Conf. II. 340 Noght onliche of the wommen tho, Bot of the chaste men also. a1425Cursor M. 11069 (Trin.) Not only of ierusalem bourȝe But also al þe cuntre þourȝe. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI 104 b, Not onely now..but also after. 1589–1875 [see but, C. 24 b].
†2. By or of itself alone, without anything else.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iii. xix. (1495) 66 By smellynge oonly he knowyth bytwene herbes good and venymous. a1425Cursor M. 3574 (Trin.) Whenne þat [a mon] bicomeþ olde,..Only to lyue trauail him þink. a1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV 232 b, He was restored to his kyngdome and made kyng onely by his ayde. a1555Philpot Exam. & Writ. (Parker Soc.) 66 Master doctor hath affirmed that these words..spoken by the priest, only do make the Sacrament. 1624Heywood Gunaik. i. 30 The Phrygian pipe was onely sufficient to yeeld musicke to her sacrifices, for that was no sooner heard but they fell into a divine rapture resembling madnesse. 1760Warton Idler No. 96 ⁋1 His eye was so piercing, that..he could blunt the weapons of his enemies only by looking at them. 1801Strutt Sports & Past. i. i. 10 The see of Norwich, only, was in possession of no less than thirteen parks.
†3. Singularly, uniquely, specially, pre-eminently.
c1000ælfric Colloq. in Wr.-Wülcker 103 ænlice, eleganter. 13..Chron. R. Glouc. (Rolls) App. G. 58 Ac þe oþere were strengore & Richore oniliche [v. rr. vnliche, onlyche]. c1394P. Pl. Crede 534 Afterward anoþer onliche he blissede, Þe meke of þe myddel-erde. 1554Ridley Wks. (Parker Soc.) 370 In them whom they only esteemed for their priests and sages. 1611B. Jonson Catiline v. iv, That renown'd good man That did so onely embrace his countrey!
4. Idiomatic uses.
a. The sense ‘no more than’ often passes into ‘as much as’; = just adv. 5 c. (Cf. Ger. nur.)
1838Mrs. Stowe in Life (1889) 90 Only think how long it is since I have written to you! 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. ix. II. 410 [They] would willingly join to effect it, if only they could obtain the help of such a force..as might secure those who should rise in arms. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 193 He is coming..if you will only wait. 1888Sunday Talk June 345/1 If I could only give you one-half of the stories..I would make the best article I have yet written.
b. only not = all but, little else than.
1779–81Johnson L.P., Smith Wks. II. 473, I was only not a boy. 1834Napier Penins. War xiv. vi. (Rtldg.) II. 275 The fortresses were..only not abandoned to the enemy. 1862Neale Hymn, ‘Safe home’ i, Torn sails, provision short, And only not a wreck.
c. Not before, not till. only just, at a time no farther gone than the immediate past: see just adv. 4. (Only may precede or follow the word or phrase expressing time.)
1676Glanvill Ess. Pref. a iij, I have now only cast it into the form of a Discourse. 1791Washington Lett. Writ. 1892 XII. 9 Your..letter..came to my hands the day before yesterday only. 1846Trench Mirac. Introd. (1862) 57 The flower dropped off only as the fruit was being formed. 1898Westm. Gaz. 23 Feb. 5/3 A woman..yesterday killed herself. She was only married on Saturday. Mod. I have only just received it; it was posted only yesterday.
†d. only but, but only: (a) = only, merely; (b) except only. Obs.
1478Paston Lett. III. 232 Paid..for the tythynges, ondely but in corne whan it was inned in to the barn, xxiiij li. 1605Chapman All Fooles Wks. 1873 I. 180 Now heere all are pleas'd, Onelie but Cornelio. 1678Dryden All for Love ii. i, You but only beg'd a last farewel. 1711Light to Blind in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 127 The first dessigne was onely but to show the rebells, that the..garrison was watchful.
e. only too (true, thankful, etc.): see too.
f. all only, al only, an emphatic variant of only in various senses, at length treated as one word: see alonely.
B. conjunctive adv., conj. (prep.)
1. The only thing to be added being; with this restriction, drawback, or exception only; but (adversative); on the other hand, on the contrary.
1382Wyclif 1 Cor. vii. 39 Be she weddid to whom she wole, oonly [Gr. µόνον] in the Lord. ― Gal. v. 13 Britheren ȝe ben clepid in to fredom: oonli ȝeue ȝe not fredom in to occasioun of fleisch. 1579Fenton Guicciard. (1618) 3 Onely the man for his integritie and soundnesse was such a one, as [etc.]. 1598Shakes. Merry W. ii. ii. 242 Spend all I haue, onely giue me so much of your time in enchange of it, as [etc.]. 1625Purchas Pilgrims II. 1117 They know not how to..refine the same [sugar-canes], onely they eat them raw. 1667Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 81 Onely Colonel Gilby will tell you all when he comes down. 1796Burney Mem. Metastasio I. 64 No matter; only will there be room for us all? 1877Spurgeon Serm. XXIII. 179 Many a man would have become wise, only he thought he was so already. Mod. The flowers are lovely; only, they have no scent.
b. only that: with the exception that, except that, were it not that, but for the fact that.
1706S. Clarke Let. to Dodwell (1711) 28 That there is no real difference..only that that which the Platonists call Mind [νοῦς]..the Sacred Writers call [πνεῦµα] Spirit. 1771T. Hull Sir W. Harrington (1797) II. 157 Only that I know you don't love bustle, I should wish you here. 1804E. de Acton Tale without Title III. 241 Something like a castle in miniature, only that its windows were modern. 1845M. J. Higgins Ess. (1875) 27, I would see and get it done at once, only that I am in doubt as to the best means.
2. Except. only for, except for, but for, were it not for.
1540–1Elyot Image Gov. (1549) 40 Only by violence they coulde not be brought to theyr shippes. 1664Pepys Diary 22 Apr., My wife and I, in their coach to Hide Parke, where..pleasant it was, only for the dust. 1668Ibid. 22 Aug., It is true..that our whole Office will be turned out, only me. 1737[S. Berington] G. di Lucca's Mem. 295 The Project might easily take, only for the horrid Wickedness of the Fact. 1747Mem. Nutrebian Crt. I. 38 Ridiculing all forms of worship..only their own. 1811Ora & Juliet I. 30 Only for my tea, I should have had the head-ache. 1887N. & Q. 7th Ser. III. 501 For many years the following notice was painted up at Bolton railway station: ‘Do not cross the line only by the bridge’. 1888Poor Nellie 245 Only for William, you would have died with her, George! 1899T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin vii. 238 I've been a⁓listenin' to a v'ice as nobody can't hear on'y me. 1914Joyce Dubliners 44 And say what he would do to her only for her dead mother's sake. 1922E. O'Neill Anna Christie ii. 140 And only for me,..we'd be being scoffed by the fishes this minute! 1934S. O'Casey Pound on Demand in Windfalls 195 Who else could he be, only Mr. Adams? 1939New Yorker 13 May 23/1 Her boy friend was working his way thru the Illinois U. and didn't get to Chi only two or three times a year. 1961W. G. Pollard Physicist & Christian (1962) 57 Yet are not we of the mid-twentieth century..just as bad off as they—only in a different way?
b. In a clause: Except that, were it not that, but that.
a1766F. Sheridan Sidney Bidulph IV. 187 And only my uncle Bidulph is fonder of my sister than he is of me, my vanity would carry me away for want of a little ballast. a1774Goldsm. tr. Scarron's Com. Romance (1775) II. 162 At length their passion became so violent, that only there was no bloodshed, Pyramus and Thisbe were nothing to them for affection and sincerity. 1802H. Martin Helen of Glenross II. 226 Only he is very melancholy, he would be agreeable. 1901M. Franklin My Brilliant Career iii. 16 Only I promised to stick to the missus a while I'd scoot tomorrer. 1914Joyce Dubliners 146 Only I'm an old man now I'd change his tune for him.
C. Comb. only-born, only-created, only-gotten; also only-begotten.
c1410Hoccleve Mother of God 115 By his sone oonly-geten [v.r. only gottin]. 1608Willet Hexapla Exod. 126 His first borne, which also may bee his only borne. 1833J. H. Newman Arians ii. v. (1876) 227 The Arians..explain the word only-begotten in the sense of only-created.
▪ III. only, n.|ˈəʊnlɪ|
[f. the adj.]
1. Used absol. for ‘the only chance’.
1878J. H. Beadle Western Wilds xxvi. 417, I seed it was my first, last and only, and I sot old Sally at a gallop for that pint.
2. An only child.
1931J. Cannan High Table ii. 17 But poor little Theodore was ‘an only’, said Lady Oliver. 1963Guardian 22 Feb. 8/7 The ‘only’, on the other hand..envies her friends with brothers and sisters. 1975C. Storr Chinese Egg xviii. 121 If you're an only, you're sort of a target. Everything your parents think or feel has to be worked out on you.
3. In redupl. form. The state of being alone. nonce-wd.
1946J. B. Priestley Bright Day vi. 199 Left on my only-only today. Wife's had to dash over to Leeds. |