Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Time

Time

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Times
(#)
.
[OE.
time
, AS.
tīma
, akin to
tīd
time, and to Icel.
tīmi
, Dan.
time
an hour, Sw.
timme
. √58. See
Tide
,
Noun.
]
1.
Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms which designate limited portions thereof.
The
time
wasteth [i. e. passes away] night and day.
Chaucer.
I know of no ideas . . . that have a better claim to be accounted simple and original than those of space and
time
.
Reid.
2.
A particular period or part of duration, whether past, present, or future; a point or portion of duration;
as, the
time
was, or has been; the
time
is, or will be
.
God, who at sundry
times
and in divers manners spake in
time
past unto the fathers by the prophets.
Heb. i. 1.
3.
The period at which any definite event occurred, or person lived; age; period; era;
as, the Spanish Armada was destroyed in the
time
of Queen Elizabeth
; – often in the plural;
as, ancient
times
; modern
times
.
4.
The duration of one’s life; the hours and days which a person has at his disposal.
Believe me, your
time
is not your own; it belongs to God, to religion, to mankind.
Buckminster.
5.
A proper time; a season; an opportunity.
There is . . . a
time
to every purpose.
Eccl. iii. 1.
The
time
of figs was not yet.
Mark xi. 13.
6.
Hour of travail, delivery, or parturition.
She was within one month of her
time
.
Clarendon.
7.
Performance or occurrence of an action or event, considered with reference to repetition; addition of a number to itself; repetition;
as, to double cloth four
times
; four
times
four, or sixteen
.
Summers three
times
eight save one.
Milton.
8.
The present life; existence in this world as contrasted with immortal life; definite, as contrasted with infinite, duration.
Till
time
and sin together cease.
Keble.
9.
(Gram.)
Tense.
10.
(Mus.)
The measured duration of sounds; measure; tempo; rate of movement; rhythmical division;
as, common or triple
time
; the musician keeps good
time
.
Some few lines set unto a solemn
time
.
Beau. & Fl.
☞ Time is often used in the formation of compounds, mostly self-explaining; as, time-battered, time-beguiling, time-consecrated, time-consuming, time-enduring, time-killing, time-sanctioned, time-scorner, time-wasting, time-worn, etc.
Absolute time
,
time irrespective of local standards or epochs; as, all spectators see a lunar eclipse at the same instant of absolute time.
–
Apparent time
,
the time of day reckoned by the sun, or so that 12 o'clock at the place is the instant of the transit of the sun's center over the meridian.
–
Astronomical time
,
mean solar time reckoned by counting the hours continuously up to twenty-four from one noon to the next.
–
At times
,
at distinct intervals of duration; now and then;
as,
at times
he reads,
at
other
times
he rides
.
–
Civil time
,
time as reckoned for the purposes of common life in distinct periods, as years, months, days, hours, etc., the latter, among most modern nations, being divided into two series of twelve each, and reckoned, the first series from midnight to noon, the second, from noon to midnight.
–
Common time
(Mil.)
,
the ordinary time of marching, in which ninety steps, each twenty-eight inches in length, are taken in one minute.
–
Equation of time
.
See under
Equation
,
Noun.
–
In time
.
(a)
In good season; sufficiently early;
as, he arrived
in time
to see the exhibition
.
(b)
After a considerable space of duration; eventually; finally;
as, you will
in time
recover your health and strength
.
–
Mean time
.
See under 4th
Mean
.
–
Quick time
(Mil.)
,
time of marching, in which one hundred and twenty steps, each thirty inches in length, are taken in one minute.
–
Sidereal time
.
See under
Sidereal
.
–
Standard time
,
the civil time that has been established by law or by general usage over a region or country. In England the standard time is Greenwich mean solar time. In the United States and Canada four kinds of standard time have been adopted by the railroads and accepted by the people, viz., Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific time, corresponding severally to the mean local times of the 75th, 90th, 105th, and 120th meridians west from Greenwich, and being therefore five, six, seven, and eight hours slower than Greenwich time.
–
Time ball
,
a ball arranged to drop from the summit of a pole, to indicate true midday time, as at Greenwich Observatory, England.
Nichol.
–
Time bargain
(Com.)
,
a contract made for the sale or purchase of merchandise, or of stock in the public funds, at a certain time in the future.
–
Time bill
.
Same as
Time-table
.
[Eng.]
–
Time book
,
a book in which is kept a record of the time persons have worked.
–
Time detector
,
a timepiece provided with a device for registering and indicating the exact time when a watchman visits certain stations in his beat.
–
Time enough
,
in season; early enough.
“Stanly at Bosworth field, . . . came time enough to save his life.”
Bacon.
–
Time fuse
,
a fuse, as for an explosive projectile, which can be so arranged as to ignite the charge at a certain definite interval after being itself ignited.
–
Time immemorial
, or
Time out of mind
.
(Eng. Law)
See under
Immemorial
.
–
Time lock
,
a lock having clockwork attached, which, when wound up, prevents the bolt from being withdrawn when locked, until a certain interval of time has elapsed.
–
Time of day
,
salutation appropriate to the times of the day, as “good morning,” “good evening,” and the like; greeting.
–
To kill time
.
See under
Kill
,
Verb.
T.
–
To make time
.
(a)
To gain time.
(b)
To occupy or use (a certain) time in doing something;
as, the trotting horse
made
fast
time
.
–
To move against time
,
To run against time
, or
To go against time
,
to move, run, or go a given distance without a competitor, in the quickest possible time; or, to accomplish the greatest distance which can be passed over in a given time;
as, the horse is
to run against time
.
–
True time
.
(a)
Mean time as kept by a clock going uniformly.
(b)
(Astron.)
Apparent time as reckoned from the transit of the sun's center over the meridian.

Time

(tīm)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Timed
(tīmd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Timing
.]
1.
To appoint the time for; to bring, begin, or perform at the proper season or time;
as, he
timed
his appearance rightly
.
There is no greater wisdom than well to
time
the beginnings and onsets of things.
Bacon.
2.
To regulate as to time; to accompany, or agree with, in time of movement.
Who overlooked the oars, and
timed
the stroke.
Addison.
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was
timed
with dying cries.
Shakespeare
3.
To ascertain or record the time, duration, or rate of;
as, to
time
the speed of horses, or hours for workmen
.
4.
To measure, as in music or harmony.

Time

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To keep or beat time; to proceed or move in time.
With oar strokes
timing
to their song.
Whittier.
2.
To pass time; to delay.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Time

TIME

,
Noun.
[L.tempus; tempora, the falls of the head, also tempest, &c. See Tempest. Time is primarily equivalent to season; to the Gr.wpa in its original sense, opportunity, occasion, a fall, an event, that which comes.]
1.
A particular portion or part of duration, whether past, present or future. The time was; the time has been; the time is; the time will be.
Lost time is never found again.
God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. Heb.1.
2.
A proper time; a season.
There is a time to every purpose. Eccles.3.
The time of figs was not yet. Mark 11.
3.
Duration.
The equal and uniform flux of time does not affect our senses.
Time is absolute or relative; absolute time is considered without any relation to bodies or their motions. Relative time is the sensible measure of any portion of duration, by means of motion. Thus the diurnal revolution of the sun measures a space of time or duration. Hence,
4.
A space or measured portion of duration.
We were in Paris two months,and all that time enjoyed good health.
5.
Life or duration, in reference to occupation. One man spends his time in idleness; another devotes all his time to useful purposes.
Believe me, your time is not your own; it belongs to God, to religion, to mankind.
6.
Age; a part of duration distinct from other parts; as ancient times; modern times. The Spanish armada was defeated in the time of Queen Elizabeth.
7.
Hour of travail.
She was within one month of her time.
8.
Repetition; repeated performance, or mention with reference to repetition. The physician visits his patient three times in a day.
9.
Repetition; doubling; addition of a number to itself; as, to double cloth four times; four times four amount to sixteen.
10. Measure of sounds in music; as common time, and treble time. In concerts,it is all important, that the performers keep time, or exact time.
11. The state of things at a particular period; as when we say, good times, or bad times, hard times,dull times for trade, &c. In this sense, the plural is generally used.
12. In grammar, tense.
In time, in good season; sufficiently early.
He arrived in time to see the exhibition.
1.
A considerable space of duration; process or continuation of duration. You must wait patiently; you will in time recover your health and strength.
At times, at distinct intervals of duration. At times he reads; at other times, he rides.
The spirit began to move him at times. Judges 13.
Time enough, in season; early enough.
Stanley at Bosworth-field, came time enough to save his life.
To lose time, to delay.
1.
To go too slow; as, a watch or clock loses time.
Apparent time, in astronomy, true solar time, regulated by the apparent motions of the sun.
Mean time, equated time, a mean or average of apparent time.
Siderial time, is that which is shown by the diurnal revolutions of the stars.

TIME

,
Verb.
T.
To adapt to the time or occasion; to bring, begin or perform at the proper season or time; as, the measure is well timed, or ill timed. No small part of political wisdom consists in knowing how to time propositions and measures.
Mercy is good, but kings mistake its timing.
1.
To regulate as to time; as, he timed the stroke.
2.
To measure; as in music or harmony.

Definition 2024

Time

Time

See also: time, timé, and tìme

Norwegian

Proper noun

Time

  1. A municipality in Rogaland, Norway

time

time

See also: Time, timé, and tìme

English

Alternative forms

Interjection

time

  1. (tennis) Reminder by the umpire for the players to continue playing after their pause.

Noun

time ‎(countable and uncountable, plural times)

  1. (uncountable) The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present events into the past.
    Time stops for nobody.   the ebb and flow of time‎
    1. (physics, usually uncountable) A dimension of spacetime with the opposite metric signature to space dimensions; the fourth dimension.
      Both science-fiction writers and physicists have written about travel through time.‎
      • 1895, H.G. Wells, The Time Machine, (ISBN 9781634230001), page 35
        So long as I travelled at a high velocity through time, this scarcely mattered; I was, so to speak, attenuated — was slipping like a vapour through the interstices of intervening substances!
      • 2010, Brian Greene, The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, W. W. Norton & Company (ISBN 9780393338102), page 204
        We all have a visceral understanding of what it means for the universe to have multiple space dimensions, since we live in a world in which we constantly deal with a plurality — three. But what would it mean to have multiple times? Would one align with time as we presently experience it psychologically while the other would somehow be "different"?
    2. (physics, uncountable) Change associated with the second law of thermodynamics; the physical and psychological result of increasing entropy.
      Time slows down when you approach the speed of light.‎
      • 2012, Robert Zwilling, Natural Sciences and Human Thought, Springer Science & Business Media (ISBN 9783642786853), page 80
        Eventually time would also die because no processes would continue, no light would flow.
      • 2015, Highfield, Arrow Of Time, Random House (ISBN 9780753551790)
        Given the connection between increasing entropy and the arrow of time, does the Big Crunch mean that time would run backwards as soon as collapse began?
    3. (physics, uncountable, reductionistic definition) The property of a system which allows it to have more than one distinct configurations.
      An essential definition of time should entail neither speed nor direction, just change.‎
  2. A duration of time.
    1. (uncountable) A quantity of availability of duration.
      More time is needed to complete the project.   You had plenty of time, but you waited until the last minute.   Are you finished yet? Time’s up!‎
    2. (countable) A measurement of a quantity of time; a numerical or general indication of a length of progression.
      a long time;  Record the individual times for the processes in each batch.   Only your best time is compared with the other competitors.   The algorithm runs in O(n2) time.‎
      • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
        I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.
      • 1938, Richard Hughes, In Hazard
        The shock of the water, of course, woke him, and he swam for quite a time.
    3. (uncountable, slang) The serving of a prison sentence.
      The judge leniently granted a sentence with no hard time.   He is not living at home because he is doing time.‎
    4. (countable) An experience.
      We had a wonderful time at the party.‎
      • 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity:
        I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.
    5. (countable) An era; (with the, sometimes in plural) the current era, the current state of affairs.
      Roman times;  the time of the dinosaurs‎
      • (Can we date this quote?) Cicero, First Oration against Catiline (translation)
        O the times, O the customs!
      • 1601, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
        The time is out of joint
    6. (uncountable, with possessive) A person's youth or young adulthood, as opposed to the present day.
      In my time, we respected our elders.‎
    7. (only in singular, sports and figuratively) Time out; temporary, limited suspension of play.
  3. An instant of time.
    1. (uncountable) How much of a day has passed; the moment, as indicated by a clock or similar device.
      Excuse me, have you got the time?   What time is it, do you guess? Ten o’clock?   A computer keeps time using a clock battery.‎
      • 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
        Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.   Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
    2. (countable) A particular moment or hour; the appropriate moment or hour for something (especially with prepositional phrase or imperfect subjunctive).
      it’s time for bed;  it’s time to sleep;  we must wait for the right time;  it's time we were going‎
      • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 8, in The Celebrity:
        The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.
      • 2013 June 7, Joseph Stiglitz, “Globalisation is about taxes too”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 19:
        It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today – with America standing out in the forefront and the UK not far behind.
    3. (countable) A numerical indication of a particular moment.
      at what times do the trains arrive?;  these times were erroneously converted between zones‎
    4. (countable) An instance or occurrence.
      When was the last time we went out? I don’t remember.‎
      see you another time;  that’s three times he’s made the same mistake‎
      Okay, but this is the last time. No more after that!‎
      • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 2, in The Celebrity:
        Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.
    5. (Britain, of pubs) Closing time.
      Last call: it's almost time.‎
    6. The hour of childbirth.
  4. (countable) The measurement under some system of region of day or moment.
    Let's synchronize our watches so we're not on different time.‎
  5. (countable) Ratio of comparison.
    your car runs three times faster than mine;  that is four times as heavy as this‎
  6. (grammar, dated) Tense.
    the time of a verb‎
  7. (music) The measured duration of sounds; measure; tempo; rate of movement; rhythmical division.
    common or triple time;   the musician keeps good time.‎

Usage notes

For the number of occurrences and the ratio of comparison, once and twice are typically used instead of one time and two times. Thrice is uncommon but not obsolescent.

Collocations

Typical collocations with time or time expressions.

  • spend - To talk about the length of time of an activity.
- We spent a long time driving along the motorway.
- I've spent most of my life working here. (Time expression)
  • take - To talk about the length of time of an activity.
- It took a long time to get to the front of the queue. See also - take one's time
- It only takes five minutes to get to the shop from here. (Time expression)
- How long does it take to do that? (Time expression)

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:time.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

see Hyponyms above

Related terms

Translations

Verb

time ‎(third-person singular simple present times, present participle timing, simple past and past participle timed)

  1. To measure or record the time, duration, or rate of.
    I used a stopwatch to time myself running around the block.
  2. To choose when something begins or how long it lasts.
    The President timed his speech badly, coinciding with the Super Bowl.
    The bomb was timed to explode at 9:20 p.m.
    • Francis Bacon
      There is no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things.
  3. (obsolete) To keep or beat time; to proceed or move in time.
    • Whittier
      With oar strokes timing to their song.
  4. (obsolete) To pass time; to delay.
  5. To regulate as to time; to accompany, or agree with, in time of movement.
    • Addison
      Who overlooked the oars, and timed the stroke.
    • Shakespeare
      He was a thing of blood, whose every motion / Was timed with dying cries.
  6. To measure, as in music or harmony.

Synonyms

  • (to measure time): clock
  • (to choose the time for): set

Derived terms

Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: may · about · its · #73: time · only · like · little

Anagrams

See also

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse tími, from Proto-Germanic *tīmô ‎(“time”), from Proto-Indo-European *tī-, from *dī- ‎(“time”).

Noun

time c (singular definite timen, plural indefinite timer)

  1. hour
  2. lesson, class

Verb

time ‎(imperative time, infinitive at time, present tense timer, past tense timede, perfect tense har timet)

  1. time

Esperanto

Etymology

tim- + -e

Adverb

time

  1. fearfully

Latin

Verb

timē

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of timeō

References

  • time in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse tími, from Proto-Germanic *tīmô ‎(“time”), from Proto-Indo-European *tī-, from *dī- ‎(“time”).

Noun

time m ‎(definite singular timen, indefinite plural timer, definite plural timene)

  1. an hour
  2. a lesson, class

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse tími, from Proto-Germanic *tīmô ‎(“time”), from Proto-Indo-European *tī-, from *dī- ‎(“time”).

Noun

time m ‎(definite singular timen, indefinite plural timar, definite plural timane)

  1. an hour
  2. a lesson, class

Derived terms

References

Old Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse tími, from Proto-Germanic *tīmô.

Noun

tīme m

  1. time
  2. hour
  3. occasion

Declension

Descendants

Scots

Noun

time ‎(plural times)

  1. time

Portuguese

Etymology

From English team, from Middle English teme, from Old English tēam ‎(“child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of draught animals”), from Proto-Germanic *taumaz ‎(“that which draws or pulls”), from Proto-Germanic *taugijaną, *tugōną, *teuhōną, *teuhaną ‎(“to lead, bring, pull, draw”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‎(“to pull, lead”).

Pronunciation

  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.mi/
  • (South Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.me/
  • Hyphenation: ti‧me

Noun

time m (plural times)

  1. (Brazil, chiefly sports) a team
  2. (Brazil, informal) sexual orientation

Synonyms

Spanish

Verb

time

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of timar.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of timar.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of timar.

Etymology

From Middle English time, tyme, from Old English tīma ‎(“time, period, space of time, season, lifetime, fixed time, favorable time, opportunity”), from Proto-Germanic *tīmô ‎(“time”), from Proto-Indo-European *dī- ‎(“time”). Cognate with Scots tym, tyme ‎(“time”), Alemannic German Zimen, Zīmmän ‎(“time, time of the year, opportune time, opportunity”), Danish time ‎(“stound, hour, lesson”), Swedish timme ‎(“stound, hour”), Norwegian time ‎(“time, stound, hour”), Faroese tími ‎(“hour, lesson, time”), Icelandic tími ‎(“time, season”). See also tide.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, Canada, US) enPR: tīm, IPA(key): /taɪm/
  • (Australia) IPA(key): /tɑem/
  • (Can we verify(+) this pronunciation?) (Tasmanian) IPA(key): /tɜːm/
  • Rhymes: -aɪm
  • Rhymes: -ɑem
  • Rhymes: -ɜːm
  • Homophone: thyme

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