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    time definition Hear it!

    time (tīm)

    noun

    1. indefinite, unlimited duration in which things are considered as happening in the past, present, or future; every moment there has ever been or ever will be
      1. the entire period of existence of the known universe; finite duration, as distinguished from infinity
      2. the entire period of existence of the world or of humanity; earthly duration, as distinguished from eternity
      3. Father Time
      a system of measuring duration: solar time, standard time
    2. the period between two events or during which something exists, happens, or acts; measured or measurable interval any period in the history of man or of the universe, often specif. with reference to a characteristic social structure, set of customs, famous person living then, etc.: prehistoric times, medieval times, geologic time, Lincoln's time
      1. a period characterized by a prevailing condition or specific experience: a time of peace, have a good time
      2. the prevailing conditions of a particular period: the times were difficult
      a period of duration set or thought of as set; specif.,
      1. a period of existence; lifetime: his time is almost over
      2. a term of apprenticeship
      3. a term of imprisonment
      4. a term of military service
      5. Obsolete a period of indenture
      a period or periods necessary, sufficient, or available for something: no time for play the specific, usual, or allotted period during which something is done: the runner's time was 1.47 minutes; baking time, 20 minutes
      1. the period regularly worked or to be worked by an employee
      2. the hourly rate of pay for the regular working hours
      rate of speed in marching, driving, working, etc.: quick time, double timeDrama one of the three unitiesMusic
      1. the grouping of rhythmic beats into measures of equal length
      2. the characteristic rhythm of a piece of music in terms of this grouping, indicated by the time signature
      3. the rate of speed at which a composition or passage is played; tempo
      4. loosely the rhythm and tempo characteristic of a kind of composition: waltz time, march time
      5. the duration of a note or rest
      Prosody a unit of quantitative meter; esp., a mora, or short syllable☆ Sports timeout
    3. a precise instant, second, minute, hour, day, week, month, or year, determined by clock or calendar the point at which something has happened, is happening, or will happen; occasion: game time is two o'clock the usual, natural, traditional, or appointed moment for something to happen, begin, or end [time to get up]; specif.,
      1. the moment of death: his time is close at hand
      2. the end of a period of pregnancy; moment of giving birth: her time had come
      3. ☆ one's turn at something: a time at bat
      the suitable, proper, favorable, or convenient moment: now is the time to act any one of a series of moments at which the same or nearly the same thing recurs; repeated occasion: told for the fifth time, time and time again

    Origin: ME < OE tima, prob. < IE *dī-men < base *dā(i)-, to part, divide up > tide

    interjection

    Sports used to signify that a period of play or activity has ended or that play is temporarily suspended

    transitive verb timed, timing tim′·ing

    1. to arrange or set the time of so as to be acceptable, suitable, opportune, etc.: to time an invasion
    2. to adjust, set, play, etc. so as to coincide in time with something else: to time one's watch with another's
    3. to regulate (a mechanism) for a given speed or length of operation
    4. to set the duration of (a syllable or musical note) as a unit of rhythm
    5. to calculate or record the pace, speed, finishing time, etc. of; clock: to time a runner

    intransitive verb

    Rare to move in time; keep time

    adjective

    1. having to do with time
    2. set or regulated so as to explode, open, etc. at a given time: a time bomb
    3. payable later or on a specified future date: a time loan
    4. ☆ designating or of any of a series of payments made or to be made over a period of time: a time payment

    time (tīm)

    noun
    1. a. A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.
      b. An interval separating two points on this continuum; a duration: a long time since the last war; passed the time reading.
      c. A number, as of years, days, or minutes, representing such an interval: ran the course in a time just under four minutes.
      d. A similar number representing a specific point on this continuum, reckoned in hours and minutes: checked her watch and recorded the time, 6:17 A.M.
      e. A system by which such intervals are measured or such numbers are reckoned: solar time.
    2. a. An interval, especially a span of years, marked by similar events, conditions, or phenomena; an era. Often used in the plural: hard times; a time of troubles.
      b. times The present with respect to prevailing conditions and trends: You must change with the times.
    3. A suitable or opportune moment or season: a time for taking stock of one's life.
    4. a. Periods or a period designated for a given activity: harvest time; time for bed.
      b. Periods or a period necessary or available for a given activity: I have no time for golf.
      c. A period at one's disposal: Do you have time for a chat?
    5. An appointed or fated moment, especially of death or giving birth: He died before his time. Her time is near.
    6. a. One of several instances: knocked three times; addressed Congress for the last time before retirement.
      b. times Used to indicate the number of instances by which something is multiplied or divided: This tree is three times taller than that one. My library is many times smaller than hers.
    7. a. One's lifetime.
      b. One's period of greatest activity or engagement.
      c. A person's experience during a specific period or on a certain occasion: had a good time at the party.
    8. a. A period of military service.
      b. A period of apprenticeship.
      c. Informal A prison sentence.
    9. a. The customary period of work: hired for full time.
      b. The period spent working.
      c. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays.
    10. The period during which a radio or television program or commercial is broadcast: “There's television time to buy” (Brad Goldstein).
    11. The rate of speed of a measured activity: marching in double time.
    12. Music
      a. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time.
      b. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo.
    13. Chiefly British The hour at which a pub closes.
    14. Sports A time-out.
    adjective
    1. Of, relating to, or measuring time.
    2. Constructed so as to operate at a particular moment: a time release.
    3. Payable on a future date or dates.
    4. Of or relating to installment buying: time payments.
    transitive verb timed timed, timing tim·ing, times times
    1. To set the time for (an event or occasion).
    2. To adjust to keep accurate time.
    3. To adjust so that a force is applied or an action occurs at the desired time: timed his swing so as to hit the ball squarely.
    4. To record the speed or duration of: time a runner.
    5. To set or maintain the tempo, speed, or duration of: time a manufacturing process.

    Origin: Middle English, from Old English tīma; see dā- in Indo-European roots.

    Time

    See also antiquity; future; past.

    anachronism

    1. a person or a thing remaining or appearing after its own time period; archaism.

    2. an error in chronology. Also called antichronism. —anachronistic, anachronistical, anachronous, adj.

    asynchronism

    the absence of concurrent time. Cf. synchronism.asynchronic, adj.asynchrony, n.

    chronology

    1. the science of arranging time in fixed periods for the purpose of dating events accurately and arranging them in order of occurrence.

    2. a reference book organized according to the dates of past events. —chronologer, chronologist, n.chronological, adj.

    chronometry

    1. the art of measuring time accurately.

    2. the measurement of time by periods or divisions. —chronometric, chronometrical, adj.

    chronophobia

    an abnormal discomfort concerning time.

    chronoscope

    an instrument for accurate measurement of very short periods of time, as the time of trajectory of missiles.

    chronoscopy

    accurate measurement of short intervals of time by means of a chronoscope. —chronoscopic, adj.

    clepsydra

    an instrument for measuring time by the controlled flow of water or mercury through a small opening.

    coetaneity

    coevalneity. —coetaneous, adj.

    coeternity

    the state of eternal coexistence; eternal coexistence with another eternal entity. —coetemal, adj.

    coevalneity

    the state or quality of being alike in age or duration; contemporaneity. Also called coetaneity. —coeval, adj.

    cunctation

    the practice or habit of delay or tardiness; procrastination. —cunctator, n.cunctatious, cunctatory, adj.

    dendrochronology

    the science of fixing dates in the past by the study of growth rings in trees. —dendrochronologist, n.dendrochronological, adj.

    diachronism, diachrony

    the comparative study of a development based on its history. —diachronic, diachronistic, diachronistical, adj.

    diuturnity

    Rare. the quality of long duration in time; length of time. —diuturnal, adj.

    geochronology

    the chronology of the earth as induced from geologic data. —geochronologist, n.geochronologic, geochronological, adj.

    glottochronology

    the study of two or more related but distinct languages in order to determine when they separated, by examining the lexicon they share and those parts of it that have been replaced. —glottochronologist, n.glottochronological, adj.

    gnomonics

    the art or science of constructing dials, as sundials, which show the time of day by the shadow of the gnomon, a pin or triangle raised above the surface of the dial.

    gnomonology

    a treatise or other work on the subject of gnomics.

    horologe

    any instrument or device for telling time, especially a sundial and early forms of the clock.

    horologiography

    1. the description of watches and clocks.

    2. the art of making timepieces. —horologiographer, horologiographian, n.horologiographic, adj.

    horology

    the art or science of making timepieces or of measuring time. —horologist, n.horological, adj.

    horometer

    an instrument for measuring time.

    horometry

    the art or science of measuring time. —horometrical, adj.

    immediatism

    immediateness; the quality or condition of being immediate.

    intempestivity

    Obsolete, the state or condition of being untimely. —intempestive, adj.

    isochronism

    1. the characteristic of having a uniform period of vibration.

    2. the condition of occurring at the same time as another event. —isochronic, adj.isochrony, n.

    menology

    a calendar of months.

    mensality

    the state or condition of occurring monthly.

    metachronism

    a chronological error in which an event is assigned a date after its real one. Cf. parachronism.metachronic, adj.

    microchronometer

    an instrument for measuring extremely small time intervals. —microchronometric, adj.

    obsolescence

    the process or condition of going out of date or being no longer in use. —obsolescent, adj.

    parachronism

    the dating of an event as later than its actual occurrence. Cf. prochronism.parachronic, adj.

    phenology

    the study of natural phenomena that occur periodically, as migration or blossoming, and their relation to climate and changes of season. —phenologist, n.phenological, adj.

    photochronograph

    1. a camera for recording motion by a series of photographs taken at brief intervals.

    2. the photograph so produced.

    3. a camera that records the exact time of the event it is photographing by exposing a moving sensitized plate to the tracing of a thin beam of light synchronized with the event.

    prevenience

    the act or state of preceding or coming before. —prevenient, adj.

    prochronism

    the dating of an event as earlier than its actual occurrence. Cf. parachronism.prochronic, adj.

    quotiety

    the proportionate frequency at which an event takes place. See also numbers.

    sempiternity

    the state or quality of being eternal, without beginning or end. —sempiternal, adj.

    synchronism, synchrony

    a coincidence in time; simultaneity. Cf. asynchronism.synchronistic, synchronistical, adj.

    synchronology

    an arrangement of events by date, grouping together all those of the same date; a comparative chronology. —synchronological, adj.

    transience, transiency

    the state or quality of passing with time or being ephemeral or fleeting. —transient, adj.