Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Solitary \Sol"i*ta*ry\, a. [L. solitarius, fr. solus alone: cf.
   F. solitaire. See {Sole}, a., and cf. {Solitaire}.]
   1. Living or being by one's self; having no companion
      present; being without associates; single; alone; lonely.

            Those rare and solitary, these in flocks. --Milton.

            Hie home unto my chamber, Where thou shalt find me,
            sad and solitary.                     --Shak.

   2. Performed, passed, or endured alone; as, a solitary
      journey; a solitary life.

            Satan . . . explores his solitary flight. --Milton.

   3. ot much visited or frequented remote from society;
      retired; lonely; as, a solitary residence or place.

   4. Not inhabited or occupied; without signs of inhabitants or
      occupation; desolate; deserted; silent; still; hence,
      gloomy; dismal; as, the solitary desert.

            How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of
            people.                               --Lam. i. 1.

            Let that night be solitary; let no joyful voice come
            therein.                              --Job iii. 7.

   5. Single; individual; sole; as, a solitary instance of
      vengeance; a solitary example.

   6. (Bot.) Not associated with others of the same kind.

   {Solitary ant} (Zo["o]l.), any solitary hymenopterous insect
      of the family {Mutillid[ae]}. The female of these insects
      is destitute of wings and has a powerful sting. The male
      is winged and resembles a wasp. Called also {spider ant}.
      

   {Solitary bee} (Zo["o]l.), any species of bee which does not
      form communities.

   {Solitary sandpiper} (Zo["o]l.), an American tattler
      ({Totanus solitarius}).

   {Solitary snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the great snipe. [Prov. Eng.]

   {Solitary thrush} (Zo["o]l.) the starling. [Prov. Eng.]

Solitary \Sol"i*ta*ry\, n.
   One who lives alone, or in solitude; an anchoret; a hermit; a
   recluse.

Source : WordNet®

solitary
     n 1: confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners;
          "he was held in solitary" [syn: {solitary confinement}]
     2: one who lives in solitude [syn: {hermit}, {recluse}, {solitudinarian},
         {troglodyte}]

solitary
     adj 1: characterized by or preferring solitude in mode of life;
            "the eremitic element in the life of a religious
            colony"; "a lone wolf"; "a man of a solitary
            disposition" [syn: {eremitic}, {eremitical}, {lone(a)}]
     2: of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or
        colonies; "solitary bees" [syn: {nongregarious}, {nonsocial}]
     3: lacking companions or companionship; "he was alone when we
        met him"; "she is alone much of the time"; "the lone skier
        on the mountain"; "a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of
        gravel"; "a lonely soul"; "a solitary traveler" [syn: {alone(p)},
         {lone(a)}, {lonely(a)}]
     4: enjoyed or performed alone; "a lonely existence"; "his
        lonely room"; "took a solitary walk"; "enjoyed her
        solitary dinner"; "solitary pursuits such as reading"
        [syn: {lonely(a)}]
     5: being the only one; single and isolated from others; "the
        lone doctor in the entire county"; "a lonesome pine"; "an
        only child"; "the sole heir"; "the sole example"; "a
        solitary instance of cowardice"; "a solitary speck in the
        sky" [syn: {lone(a)}, {lonesome(a)}, {only(a)}, {sole(a)},
         {solitary(a)}]
     6: separated from or unfrequented by others; remote or
        secluded; "a lonely crossroads"; "a solitary retreat"; "a
        trail leading to an unfrequented lake" [syn: {lonely(a)},
        {unfrequented}]