time-sharing

[tahym-shair-ing]

noun

1. Computers.,  a system or service in which a number of users at different terminals simultaneously use a single computer for different purposes.

2. Also a plan in which persons share ownership or rental costs of a vacation home, especially a condominium, entitling each participant to use the residence for a specified time each year.

time sharing

noun

1. 1. a system of part ownership of a property, such as a flat or villa, for use as a holiday home, whereby each participant buys the right to use the property for the same fixed period annually

   2. ( as modifier )

      a time-sharing system

2. 1. a system by which users at different terminals of a computer can, because of its high speed, apparently communicate with it at the same time Compare batch processing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a time-sharing computer

Word History and Origins

Origin of time sharing¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

A virtuoso at computer architecture, he built the first time-sharing computer and championed efforts to build the Ethernet.

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At Cardiff-based Tempo Time Credits, its time-sharing model is a bit different.

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It reminds me of research on coyotes in Chicago—both types of carnivores stay in the shadows during the day and roam at night, effectively time-sharing densely populated cities.

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Although he didn’t lose either of those fumbles, they appeared to cost him his time-sharing duties with Williams.

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At M.I.T., he designed hardware and software for time-sharing, operating systems, artificial intelligence and networking on the predecessor to the internet.

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