From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsingle figuresˌsingle ˈfigures noun [plural] HMNa number below 10 → double figuresin single figures Interest rates have stayed in single figures for over a year now. The number of cases of the disease is now down to single figures.
Examples from the Corpus
single figures• In the west of the province, there are no centrally placed and dominant single figures, or figured scenes.• But there are seven male to every one female tenured academic psychologist, and women heads of department are in single figures.• Labour's opinion poll lead slipped into single figures as the worst effects of the poll tax wore off.• By this, presumably, was meant the isolation of single figures in sequential positions like a Muybridge series in three dimensions.• The kilometre posts, which had indicated the distance from Moscow for the journey, now read single figures.• She has pledged to reduce pay differentials to single figures within five years by making pay more transparent through annual surveys.• In two years it could well be down to single figures.• Most commuters managed to get through but line speeds were reduced to single figures. 