time signature

noun

Music.

1. a numerical or other indication at the beginning of a piece showing the meter.

time signature

noun

1. music a sign usually consisting of two figures, one above the other, the upper figure representing the number of beats per bar and the lower one the time value of each beat. This sign is placed after the key signature at the outset of a piece or section of a piece

Word History and Origins

Origin of time signature¹

First recorded in 1870–75