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.
Some countries and some U.S. states have taken steps to limit waste, end single-use plastics and boost the woefully low rates of plastic recycling. Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025 Dover’s secular growth business platforms are clean energy components, precision components, single-use biopharma, inputs into liquid cooling applications of data center, and CO2 refrigeration systems. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 July 2025 Similarly, Stripe’s Agent Toolkit, powered by its Issuing system, enables bots to create single-use virtual credit cards and complete payments with a simple API call. Darko Pavic, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 Chinese companies still launch satellites using single-use rockets. Selam Gebrekidan, New York Times, 24 July 2025 The hotel upholds Geneva’s high level of care for sustainability by eliminating single-use plastic, getting 100 percent of its thermal energy from Lake Geneva, and donating its soaps to be recycled and distributed to the needy and unhoused. Anna Haines, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025 There are some simple ways to prevent infestation, especially if your household uses a lot of dry goods that come in thin cardboard boxes or single-use plastic bags. Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 19 July 2025 Paula’s Choice’s 2% BHA toner is known to reduce blackheads and unclog pores; but those more interested in a single-use toner pad will appreciate the Dr. Dennis Gross Daily Peel—packed with a blend of alpha and beta hydroxy acids to improve radiance and overall skin feel. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 July 2025 Exfoliating foot treatments aren’t necessarily the most glamorous part of any beauty routine, but these single-use masks sure feel like a little luxury and offer a few minutes of blissful self-care. Mary Honkus, Glamour, 16 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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