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solo

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin sōlus, probably related to se (“himself”).

Pronunciation

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English numbers (edit)
10
1 2  → [a], [b], [c] 10  → 
    Cardinal: one
    Ordinal: first
    Abbreviated ordinal: 1st
    Latinate ordinal: primary
    Reverse order ordinal: last
    Latinate reverse order ordinal: ultimate
    Adverbial: one time, once
    Multiplier: onefold
    Latinate multiplier: single
    Distributive: singly
    Germanic collective: onesome
    Collective of n parts: singlet, singleton
    Greek or Latinate collective: monad
    Greek collective prefix: mono-
    Latinate collective prefix: uni-
    Fractional: whole
    Elemental: singlet, singleton
    Greek prefix: proto-
    Number of musicians: solo
    Number of years: year

Noun

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solo (plural solos or soli)

  1. (music) A piece of music for one performer.
  2. A job or performance done by one person alone.
  3. (games) A card game similar to whist in which each player plays against the others in turn without a partner
  4. A single shot of espresso.
  5. (Gaelic football) An instance of soloing the football.

Coordinate terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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solo (not comparable)

  1. Without a companion or instructor.
    • 2026 May, Julie Belcove, “Farm Fresh”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 93:
      Represented by Olney Gleason gallery, she was the subject of a 2025 solo show at the MSU Broad Art Museum in Michigan and recently unveiled a permanent installation at the Princeton University Art Museum.
  2. (music) Of, or relating to, a musical solo.
    • 2026 March 29, Matt Mitchell, “In LA, Paul McCartney is king”, in AV Club‎[1], archived from the original on 30 March 2026:
      I can appreciate that Macca’s band plays faithful to the source material, never putting too obvious a personal spin on the music. It’s sometimes frustrating, especially when the solo part in “Get Back” is screaming for some impromptu finesse, but it’s mostly fair.

Translations

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Adverb

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solo (not comparable)

  1. Alone, without a companion.
    • 1970, Paul McCartney, “Two of Us”, in Let it Be:
      Two of us wearing raincoats / Standing solo / In the sun
    • 1984, “Wake me up before you go-go”, George Michael (lyrics), George Michael (music), performed by Wham!:
      Wake me up before you go-go / 'Cause I'm not plannin' on going solo
    • 2024 July 27, Ian Youngs, “Celine Dion makes stirring comeback at Olympics”, in BBC‎[2], archived from the original on 4 August 2025:
      The Canadian superstar had been rumoured to be singing a duet with Lady Gaga, but instead went solo on the Eiffel Tower to bring the four-hour event to a stirring climax.

Derived terms

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Verb

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solo (third-person singular simple present solos or soloes, present participle soloing, simple past and past participle soloed)

  1. (music) To perform a solo.
  2. To perform something in the absence of anyone else.
  3. (Gaelic football) To drop the ball and then toe-kick it upward into the hands.
  4. (slang) To independently perform an action, especially a challenging task.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Portuguese: solar

Translations

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See also

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Anagrams

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Asturian

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsolo/ [ˈso.lo]
  • Rhymes: -olo
  • Syllabification: so‧lo

Adjective

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solo

  1. neuter of solu

Catalan

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Etymology 1

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    Borrowed from Italian solo.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    solo m (plural solos)

    1. (music) solo (a piece of music for one performer)
    2. (card games) solo (a trick-taking card game played with 36 cards, similar to frog)
    Derived terms
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    Further reading

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    Etymology 2

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    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    solo

    1. first-person singular present indicative of solar

    Central Bikol

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Spanish solo.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ˈsolo/ [ˈso.l̪o]
    • Hyphenation: so‧lo

    Adjective

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    sólo (Basahan spelling ᜐᜓᜎᜓ)

    1. sole, only
      Synonym: bugtong
    2. alone
      Synonym: saro

    Derived terms

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    Dutch

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin solus.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ˈsoː.loː/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: so‧lo

    Noun

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    solo m (plural solo's or soli, diminutive solootje n)

    1. (music) solo (piece or passage performed or typified by a single performer)

    Derived terms

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    Esperanto

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    Etymology

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      From sola + -o.

      Pronunciation

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      • IPA(key): /ˈsolo/
      • Rhymes: -olo
      • Syllabification: so‧lo

      Noun

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      solo (accusative singular solon, plural soloj, accusative plural solojn)

      1. a single, solitary thing
      2. (music) solo
        Synonym: soloo

      Further reading

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      French

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      French Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia fr

      Etymology

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        Borrowed from Italian solo. Doublet of seul.

        Pronunciation

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        Noun

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        solo m (plural solos)

        1. (music) solo (a piece of music for one performer)

        Derived terms

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        See also

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        Further reading

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        Galician

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        Etymology 1

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          Derived from Latin solum (“soil, ground”).

          Noun

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          solo m (plural solos)

          1. soil, ground
            Synonym: chan

          Etymology 2

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            Borrowed from Italian solo.

            Noun

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            solo m (plural solos)

            1. (music) solo (a piece of music for one performer)
              Synonym: só

            Etymology 3

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            Verb

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            solo

            1. first-person singular present indicative of solar

            German

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            Etymology

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              Borrowed from Italian solo.

              Adjective

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              solo (indeclinable, predicative only)

              1. alone
              2. single (not married nor dating)
                Ich bin solo. ― I'm single.

              Higaonon

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              Etymology

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              From sulu, compare Cebuano sulu.

              Noun

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              solo

              1. lamp

              Indonesian

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              Pronunciation

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              Etymology 1

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              Borrowed from Dutch solo, from Italian solo, from Latin solus.

              Noun

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              solo (plural solo-solo)

              1. (music) solo (piece or passage performed or typified by a single performer)

              Adjective

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              solo (comparative lebih solo, superlative paling solo)

              1. solo
                1. without a companion or instructor.
                2. (music) of, or relating to, a musical solo.

              Hyponyms

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              Derived terms

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              Etymology 2

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              Borrowed from Madurese [Term?]

              Verb

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              solo

              1. catch fish at night

              Etymology 3

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              Borrowed from Madurese [Term?]

              Adjective

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              solo (comparative lebih solo, superlative paling solo)

              1. almost old

              Further reading

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              Italian

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              Pronunciation

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              Etymology 1

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              Derived from Latin sōlus.

              Adjective

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              solo (feminine sola, masculine plural soli, feminine plural sole, superlative solissimo)

              1. alone, by oneself, unattended, unaccompanied, lonely, lone, lonesome
                Synonym: solitario
                Non sei solo. ― You are not alone.
              2. only, single, just one, unique, sole
                Synonym: unico
              3. (music) solo (a piece of music for one performer)
                Synonym: assolo
              Coordinate terms
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              Derived terms
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              Descendants
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              Etymology 2

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              Derived from Latin sōlum.

              Adverb

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              solo

              1. only, just, but, alone, merely
                Synonyms: solamente, soltanto
                solo una volta ― only once
                ha solo quattro anni ― he's just four

              Conjunction

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              solo

              1. (followed by che) but, only
                Synonyms: ma, però
              2. (preceded by se) if only
                se solo lui non fosse qui ... ― if only he was not here ...
              3. (followed by se) only if
                […] solo se lui non è qui. ― […] only if he is not here.

              Noun

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              solo m (plural soli, feminine sola)

              1. the only one, the only man
                Synonym: unico
                lui è il solo che può ... ― he is the only one/only man that can ...
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              Anagrams

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              Ladino

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              Pronunciation

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              • Audio (Türkiye):(file)

              Etymology 1

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              Inherited from Old Spanish solo, from Latin sōlus (“alone; sole; only”).

              Adjective

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              solo (Hebrew spelling סולו)[1]

              1. sole; one; only; single (unique)
                • 2005, Aki Yerushalayim‎[3], volumes 26–28, page 43:
                  Los dos livros ke ensenyan konversasion son tambien los solos, de entre el grupo de 16 livros, ke sus buto es unikamente de embezar al elevo a avlar en ebreo.
                  The two books that teach conversation are also the only [ones], from among a group of sixteen books, whose purpose is uniquely to teach the pupil to speak in Hebrew.

              Etymology 2

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              Inherited from Old Spanish solo, from Latin sōlum.

              Adverb

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              solo (Hebrew spelling סולו)[1]

              1. only; solely; just
                Synonyms: solamente, unikamente
                • 1910, Reuben Eliyahu Israel, Traducsion libera de las poezias ebraicas de Roş Aşana i Kipur‎[4], Craiova: Institutul Grafic, I. Samitca şi D. Baraş, Socieatate in Comandita, →OCLC, page 12:
                  Tu sos envestido i envelupado de giustidad, a ti solo apartiene la sopirioridad
                  Si no ai en nozotros ovras ⁴) boenas, acodrate de noestros padres i de sus santedad.
                  Siempre los tengas en tu memoria i apiada a tu comunidad
                  You are dressed and enveloped with justice, only to you does superiority belong; were good deeds absent from us, remind yourself of our fathers and their holiness. You always have them in memory; rescue your people.

              References

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              1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 “solo”, in Trezoro de la Lengua Djudeoespanyola [Treasury of the Judeo-Spanish Language] (in Ladino, Hebrew, and English), Instituto Maale Adumim

              Latin

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              Noun

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              solō n

              1. dative/ablative singular of solum

              Adjective

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              sōlō

              1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of sōlus

              References

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              • “solo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
              • “solo”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

              Latvian

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              Noun

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              solo m (invariable)

              1. (music) solo

              Lingala

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              Adjective

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              solo

              1. true

              Malagasy

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              Etymology

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              Borrowed from a South Sulawesi language, from Proto-South Sulawesi *sulu(r); compare Makasar suluk.[1]

              Pronunciation

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              Noun

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              sòlo

              1. substitute, replacement

              References

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              1. ^ Alexander Adelaar (2009), “Loanwords in Malagasy”, in Martin Haspelmath, Uri Tadmor, editors, Loanwords in the World's Languages: A Comparative Handbook, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter Mouton, →DOI, →ISBN, page 726 of 717-746

              Norman

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              Etymology

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              Borrowed from English solo.

              Noun

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              solo m (plural solos)

              1. (music, Jersey) solo

              Northern Sami

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              Pronunciation

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              This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

              Verb

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              solo

              1. inflection of soallut:
                1. present indicative connegative
                2. second-person singular imperative

              Norwegian Bokmål

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              Etymology

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              Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin solus (“alone”).

              Adverb

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              solo

              1. solo

              Noun

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              solo (definite singular soloen, indefinite plural soloer or soli, definite singular soloene or soliene)

              1. (music, dance) a solo

              References

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              Norwegian Nynorsk

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              Etymology

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              Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin solus (“alone”).

              Adverb

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              solo

              1. solo

              Noun

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              solo m (definite singular soloen, indefinite plural soloar, definite plural soloane)

              1. (music, dance) a solo

              References

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              Old Galician-Portuguese

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              Adjective

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              solo

              1. alternative form of soo

              References

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              Old Spanish

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              Etymology 1

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              Inherited from Latin sōlus (“alone; sole; only”).

              Adjective

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              solo

              1. sole; one; only; single (unique)
                • c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 15r:
                  Clamo amoẏſẽ ⁊ a pharaon. e dixo peq̃ al ur̃o ſẽnor dios. Rogat por mi q̃ me ꝑdone eſta uez ſola. E riedre deſobre my eſta muert. Rogo moiſen al nr̃o ſẽnor. ⁊ veno uiẽto de fauõno ⁊ echo toda la langoſta en la mar.
                  [Clamó a Moysen e a Pharaon e dixo, “Pequé al vuestro Sennor Dios. Rogad por mi que me perdone esta vez sola e riedre de sobre mí esta muert.” Rogó Moysen al nuestro Sennor, e veno viento de favonno e echó toda la langosta en la mar.]
                  Pharaoh called Moses and said, “I have sinned against your Lord God. Pray that He forgive me just this once, and that he remove this death from over me.” [So] Moses prayed to Our Lord, and the west wind came and cast all the locusts into the sea.

              Etymology 2

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              Inherited from Latin sōlum.

              Adverb

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              solo

              1. alone
                • ca. 1284–1295, anonymous, Fuero de Cuenca:
                  Qual quier que a otro fuera de su casa metiere palo por el culo, peche dozyentos mr. & salga enemigo, si le fuere prouado; si non, saluese con doze vezinos & sea creydo o jure solo, & rresponda a rriepto, lo que al querelloso mas ploguiere.
                  Whosoever inserts a stick in the arse to someone who belongs not to their House shall pay 200 maravedis and become an Enemy, if it is proven; otherwise, may they be saved with twelve neighbours and believed, or may they swear alone responding to a Challenge, whatever the one demanding may prefer.

              References

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              • Ralph Steele Boggs et al. (1946), “solo”, in Tentative Dictionary of Medieval Spanish, volume II, Chapel Hill, page 477

              Papiamentu

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              Etymology

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                Derived from Portuguese sol, Spanish sol, and Kabuverdianu sol.

                Noun

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                solo

                1. sun

                Polish

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                Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
                Wikipedia pl

                Etymology

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                  Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin sōlus.

                  Pronunciation

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                  Noun

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                  solo n (indeclinable)

                  1. (music) solo (piece of music for one)
                    Synonym: solówka
                  2. (slang) a one-on-one fight usually between schoolers and agreed to in advance
                    Synonym: solówka

                  Adjective

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                  solo (not comparable, no derived adverb)

                  1. (music) solo (without a companion or instructor)

                  Adverb

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                  solo (not comparable)

                  1. (music) solo (alone, without a companion)
                    Synonym: pojedynczo
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                  Further reading

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                  • “solo”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[5] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
                  • “solo”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[6] (in Polish)

                  Portuguese

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                  Pronunciation

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                  Etymology 1

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                    Learned borrowing from Latin solum (“soil, ground”).

                    Noun

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                    solo m (plural solos)

                    1. (geology) soil, ground
                      • 2014, Venceslau de Morais, Paisagens da China e do Japão, Projecto Adamastor, →ISBN, page 97:
                        O shogun, generalíssimo do imperador, com residência em Yedo, assinara por conta própria tratados de amizade e de comércio com a América e com a Europa, e os estrangeiros, em Yokohama, pisavam já afoitamente o solo japonês.
                        (please add an English translation of this quotation)
                    Derived terms
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                    Etymology 2

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                      Borrowed from Italian solo, from Latin sōlus (“alone, solitary”). Doublet of só.

                      Noun

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                      solo m (plural solos)

                      1. (music) solo (a piece of music for one performer)

                      Etymology 3

                      [edit]

                        See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

                        Verb

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                        solo

                        1. first-person singular present indicative of solar

                        Further reading

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                        Romanian

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                        Etymology

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                          Unadapted borrowing from Italian solo.

                          Noun

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                          solo m (plural solouri)

                          1. solo

                          Declension

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                          singular plural
                          indefinite definite indefinite definite
                          nominative-accusative solo soloul solouri solourii
                          genitive-dative solo soloului solouri solourilor
                          vocative soloule solourilor

                          Samoan

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                          Etymology

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                          Inherited from Proto-Polynesian *solo₃ (“to go quickly”).[1]

                          Verb

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                          solo

                          1. to move forward, to progress
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                          References

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                          1. ^ Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “solo.3”, in “POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online”, in Oceanic Linguistics, volume 50, number 2, pages 551–9
                          • Milner, G.B. (1993), Samoan Dictionary, Auckland: Polynesian Press, →ISBN, page 213

                          Spanish

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                          Alternative forms

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                          • sólo (adverb, deprecated)

                          Pronunciation

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                          Etymology 1

                          [edit]

                            Inherited from Old Spanish solo, from Latin sōlus (“alone; sole; only”).

                            Adjective

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                            solo (feminine sola, masculine plural solos, feminine plural solas)

                            1. sole; one; only; single (unique)
                            2. lonely, lonesome
                            3. alone, by oneself
                            4. automatic; self-, by itself
                              La máquina se lava sola.
                              The machine washes itself (i.e. it is self-washing)
                            Derived terms
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                            Etymology 2

                            [edit]

                              Inherited from Old Spanish solo, from Latin sōlum.

                              Adverb

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                              solo

                              1. only; solely; just
                                Synonyms: solamente, únicamente
                                Solo quiero salir. ― I just want to leave.
                                No solo... sino también... ― Not only... but also...

                              Further reading

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                              Swedish

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                              Adjective

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                              solo (comparative mer solo, superlative mest solo)

                              1. (predicative only) alone
                                Synonym: ensam
                                Hon var solo på jobbet ― She was alone at work

                              Noun

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                              solo n

                              1. (music) a solo (piece of music or dance performed by or strongly centered on a single or limited number of performers)
                                Antonym: tutti
                              2. (in compounds) something done alone
                                soloflygning ― solo flight

                              Declension

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                              References

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                              Tagalog

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                              Pronunciation

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                              Etymology 1

                              [edit]

                              Borrowed from Spanish solo, from Old Spanish solo, from Latin sōlus.

                              Adjective

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                              solo (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜓᜎᜓ)

                              1. sole; only
                                Synonyms: tangi, kaisa-isa, natatangi, bugtong
                              2. alone
                                Synonym: nag-iisa
                              Derived terms
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                              Noun

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                              solo (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜓᜎᜓ)

                              1. (music) solo (piece of music for one)
                              [edit]

                              Etymology 2

                              [edit]

                              From monophthongization and contraction of saulo.

                              Noun

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                              solo (Baybayin spelling ᜐᜓᜎᜓ) (colloquial, Batangas)

                              1. pronunciation spelling of saulo
                              Derived terms
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                              Walloon

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                              Etymology 1

                              [edit]

                              Derived from Latin sōl, compare French soleil.

                              Pronunciation

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                              • IPA(key): /sɔ.ˈlɔ/
                              • Hyphenation: so‧lo

                              Noun

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                              solo m (plural solos)

                              1. (astronomy) sun
                                Synonym: solea

                              Etymology 2

                              [edit]

                              Borrowed from French solo, from Italian solo.

                              Pronunciation

                              [edit]
                              • IPA(key): /sɔ.ˈlɔ/
                              • Hyphenation: so‧lo

                              Noun

                              [edit]

                              solo m (plural solos)

                              1. (music) solo