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egg timer

American  

noun

  1. a small hourglass or clock device running about three to five minutes, used to time the boiling of an egg.


egg timer British  

noun

  1. a device, typically a miniature hourglass, for timing the boiling of an egg

"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 egg timer

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

See Examples For:

At nearly 11 inches in height, the bejeweled object might be mistaken for a flamboyant kitchen egg timer.

From New York Times May 9, 2024

The Lib Dem leader used a fake egg timer to suggest time was running out for the PM as he claimed voters were turning to his party.

From BBC Mar. 20, 2024

You’ve got one of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers set up and it’s super handy for playing music, checking the weather, setting an egg timer — all hands-free.

From The Verge Oct. 27, 2021

The Thrive app’s main function is an egg timer for your brain.

From Washington Post Jan. 19, 2018

She went out and bought a fancy egg timer that can accurately measure a half minute.

From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead

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