Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

stopwatch

American  
[stop-woch] / ˈstɒpˌwɒtʃ /

noun

  1. a watch with a hand or hands that can be stopped or started at any instant, used for precise timing, as in races.

stopwatch British  
/ ˈstɒpˌwɒtʃ /

noun

  1. a type of watch used for timing events, such as sporting events, accurately, having a device for stopping the hand or hands instantly

"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 stopwatch

First recorded in 1730–40; stop + watch

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.

Accordingly, it has a stopwatch and is water-resistant up to a certain depth, unlike more delicate and perhaps technically nicer-looking analog watches.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

Gallagher believes fans will have the "stopwatch" out to see how quickly Joshua finishes it, though he still predicts a clinical end.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

He urged factory managers to break down each task into its smallest motions, measure these with a stopwatch and then determine the “one best way” to perform the work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

If you could tear your eyes away from the screen enough to check a stopwatch, not one minute goes by without a flourish that’s either funny, ridiculous, stunning or emotional.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2024

Mr. Brisbane got out a stopwatch to time me on my runs and they made bets on how long it would take me to get from start to finish.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.