compound time

American

noun

Music.

metrical time beaten so that three beats are counted as one; time in which each beat is divisible by three.

compound time British

noun

See compound 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of compound time

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I call this compound time because, like compound interest, a small investment now yields surprisingly large returns over time.

From Time • Oct. 24, 2017

To build your own intellectual capital, here are six compound time activities that you can start incorporating into your life immediately:

From Time • Oct. 24, 2017

To get started, follow the 5-hour rule: for an hour a day, invest in compound time: take that nap, enjoy that walk, read that book, have that conversation.

From Time • Oct. 24, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023