I. so ‧ lo 1 /ˈsəʊləʊ $ ˈsoʊloʊ/ BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
1 . done alone without anyone else helping you
solo flight/voyage/ascent
Ridgeway’s solo voyage across the Atlantic
the first solo ascent of Everest
a solo effort
2 . relating to a record or piece of music that is performed by a single musician, not a group:
a solo album
a solo passage for viola
—solo adverb :
When did you first fly solo?
Amos quit the company, determined to go solo (=work for himself) .
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ on your own/by yourself without help from anyone else:
I can’t move the bed on my own.
|
See if you can work out the answer by yourself.
| all on your own/all by yourself (=used when you feel impressed or feel sympathy for someone) :
Did you paint this picture all on your own?
|
It’s not fair that she does everything all by herself.
▪ alone without any help from anyone else. Alone is more formal and less common than on your own or by yourself :
Police believe the killer acted alone.
▪ independently without asking for help or advice from anyone:
Students are taught to work independently.
|
One day she will have to live independently without the support of her family.
▪ unaided without the help of anyone or anything – used especially about people who are very weak, ill etc:
He is unable to breathe unaided.
|
After treatment, he was able to go up and down stairs unaided.
▪ single-handedly doing something difficult or impressive without help from anyone else:
She single-handedly reformed the entire system.
▪ solo by one person, not a group:
Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean
|
She is planning to release a solo album.
|
He sang and played the song solo.
▪ lone adjective [only before noun] doing something alone. Used especially in the following phrases: a lone gunman :
Police say the attack was carried out by a lone gunman.
|
The government should do more to help lone parents (=who raise a child alone) .
▪ self-made adjective someone who has become very rich or successful without help from anyone else: a self-made man/millionaire/businessman etc :
Like most self-made men, he was extremely self-confident.
II. solo 2 BrE AmE noun ( plural solos ) [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Italian ; Origin: solo 'alone' , from Latin solus ; ⇨ ↑ sole 1 ]
1 . a piece of music for one performer ⇨ duet , trio :
a gorgeous piano solo
2 . when someone flies or does an activity alone:
his first solo
III. solo 3 BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
1 . to perform a solo in a piece of music:
Brokaw solos brilliantly on this album.
2 . to fly an aircraft alone