WordLens

once

1 of 4adverb
/wʌns/
1

for one single time

A2
  • I only ate sushi once in Japan.
  • The bus comes once an hour.
  • She called me once but never again.
  • We meet once a year for reunion.
  • He slipped once on the ice but caught himself.
2

at a time in the past

  • I once visited that museum when I was a child.
  • She once lived in New York before moving here.
  • He once worked as a teacher but switched careers later.
  • We once went on a trip to Italy together.
  • They once had a dog, but it passed away last year.
3

used to indicate one generation of separation in family trees

  • My once-removed cousin is my dad's first cousin.
  • She's my aunt once removed, my grandmother's sister.
  • We're first cousins once removed.
  • His once-removed uncle inherited the estate.
  • Are we cousins or once removed?