single-mode
|sin-gle-mode|
🇺🇸
/ˈsɪŋɡəl moʊd/
🇬🇧
/ˈsɪŋɡəl məʊd/
one mode only
Etymology
'single-mode' is an English compound of 'single' and 'mode'; 'single' ultimately derives from Latin 'singulus' meaning 'one', and 'mode' comes from Latin 'modus' meaning 'measure' or 'manner'.
'single' passed into English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'singulus'; 'mode' passed into English from Latin 'modus' via Old French 'mode'. The compound 'single-mode' arose in technical usage in the 20th century to describe devices or systems that support one propagation mode.
Originally the components meant 'one' and 'manner/measure'; together in modern technical usage they specifically denote 'operation or support of a single propagation mode'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a mode or system that supports only one propagation mode (used in contexts like 'a single-mode fiber').
The laboratory tested a single-mode to compare its dispersion with multimode devices.
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Adjective 1
operating in or supporting only one propagation mode (commonly used in optics and waveguide technology).
The link uses single-mode fiber for long-distance transmission.
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Last updated: 2025/11/21 05:48