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time

[ tahym ]

/ taɪm /

See synonyms for: time / timed / times / timing on Thesaurus.com

noun

the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.

duration regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or from eternity; finite duration.

(sometimes initial capital letter) a system or method of measuring or reckoning the passage of time: mean time; apparent time; Greenwich Time.

a limited period or interval, as between two successive events: a long time.

a particular period considered as distinct from other periods: Youth is the best time of life.

Often times .

a period in the history of the world, or contemporary with the life or activities of a notable person: prehistoric times; in Lincoln's time.
the period or era now or previously present: a sign of the times; How times have changed!
a period considered with reference to its events or prevailing conditions, tendencies, ideas, etc.: hard times; a time of war.

a prescribed or allotted period, as of one's life, for payment of a debt, etc.

the end of a prescribed or allotted period, as of one's life or a pregnancy:His time had come, but there was no one left to mourn over him. When her time came, her husband accompanied her to the delivery room.

a period with reference to personal experience of a specified kind: to have a good time; a hot time in the old town tonight.

a period of work of an employee, or the pay for it; working hours or days or an hourly or daily pay rate.

Informal. a term of enforced duty or imprisonment: to serve time in the army; do time in prison.

the period necessary for or occupied by something: The time of the baseball game was two hours and two minutes. The bus takes too much time, so I'll take a plane.

leisure time; sufficient or spare time: to have time for a vacation; I have no time to stop now.

a particular or definite point in time, as indicated by a clock: What time is it?

a particular part of a year, day, etc.; season or period: It's time for lunch.

an appointed, fit, due, or proper instant or period: a time for sowing; the time when the sun crosses the meridian; There is a time for everything.

the particular point in time when an event is scheduled to take place: train time; curtain time.

an indefinite, frequently prolonged period or duration in the future: Time will tell if what we have done here today was right.

the right occasion or opportunity: to watch one's time.

each occasion of a recurring action or event: to do a thing five times; It's the pitcher's time at bat.

times, used as a multiplicative word in phrasal combinations expressing how many instances of a quantity or factor are taken together: Two goes into six three times; five times faster.

Drama. one of the three unities.Compare unity (def. 8).

Prosody. a unit or a group of units in the measurement of meter.

Music.

tempo; relative rapidity of movement.
the metrical duration of a note or rest.
proper or characteristic tempo.
the general movement of a particular kind of musical composition with reference to its rhythm, metrical structure, and tempo.
the movement of a dance or the like to music so arranged: waltz time.

Military. rate of marching, calculated on the number of paces taken per minute: double time; quick time.

Manège. each completed action or movement of the horse.

adjective

of, relating to, or showing the passage of time.

(of an explosive device) containing a clock so that it will detonate at the desired moment: a time bomb.

Commerce. payable at a stated period of time after presentment: time drafts or notes.

of or relating to purchases on the installment plan, or with payment postponed.

verb (used with object), timed, tim·ing.

to measure or record the speed, duration, or rate of: to time a race.

to fix the duration of: The proctor timed the test at 15 minutes.

to fix the interval between (actions, events, etc.): They timed their strokes at six per minute.

to regulate (a train, clock, etc.) as to time.

to appoint or choose the moment or occasion for; schedule: He timed the attack perfectly.

verb (used without object), timed, tim·ing.

to keep time; sound or move in unison.

SYNONYMS FOR time

4 term, spell, span.

6 epoch, era.

See synonyms for time on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms for time

against time, in an effort to finish something within a limited period: We worked against time to get out the newspaper.

ahead of time, before the time due; early: The building was completed ahead of time.

at one time,

once; in a former time: At one time they owned a restaurant.
at the same time; at once: They all tried to talk at one time.

at the same time, nevertheless; yet: I'd like to try it, but at the same time I'm a little afraid.

at times, at intervals; occasionally: At times the city becomes intolerable.

beat someone's time, Slang. to compete for or win a person being dated or courted by another; prevail over a rival: He accused me, his own brother, of trying to beat his time.

behind the times, old-fashioned; dated: These attitudes are behind the times.

for the time being, temporarily; for the present: Let's forget about it for the time being.

from time to time, on occasion; occasionally; at intervals: She comes to see us from time to time.

gain time, to postpone in order to make preparations or gain an advantage; delay the outcome of: He hoped to gain time by putting off signing the papers for a few days more.

in good time,

at the right time; on time; punctually.
in advance of the right time; early: We arrived at the appointed spot in good time.

in no time, in a very brief time; almost at once: Working together, they cleaned the entire house in no time.

in time,

early enough: to come in time for dinner.
in the future; eventually: In time he'll see what is right.
in the correct rhythm or tempo: There would always be at least one child who couldn't play in time with the music.

keep time,

to record time, as a watch or clock does.
to mark or observe the tempo.
to perform rhythmic movements in unison.

kill time, to occupy oneself with some activity to make time pass quickly: While I was waiting, I killed time counting the cars on the freight trains.

make time,

to move quickly, especially in an attempt to recover lost time.
to travel at a particular speed.

make time with, Slang. to pursue or take as a sexual partner.

many a time, again and again; frequently: Many a time they didn't have enough to eat and went to bed hungry.

mark time,

to suspend progress temporarily, as to await developments; fail to advance.
Military. to move the feet alternately as in marching, but without advancing.

on one's own time, during one's free time; without payment: He worked out more efficient production methods on his own time.

on time,

at the specified time; punctually.
to be paid for within a designated period of time, as in installments: Many people are never out of debt because they buy everything on time.

out of time, not in the proper rhythm: His singing was out of time with the music.

pass the time of day, to converse briefly with or greet someone: The women would stop in the market to pass the time of day.

take one's time, to be slow or leisurely; dawdle: Speed was important here, but he just took his time.

time after time, again and again; repeatedly; often: I've told him time after time not to slam the door.

time and time again, repeatedly; often: Time and time again I warned her to stop smoking.Also time and again.

time of life, (one's) age: At your time of life you must be careful not to overdo things.

time of one's life, Informal. an extremely enjoyable experience: They had the time of their lives on their trip to Europe.

Origin of time

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English tīma; cognate with Old Norse tīmi; (verb) Middle English timen to arrange a time, derivative of the noun; akin to tide¹

OTHER WORDS FROM time

re·time, verb (used with object), re·timed, re·tim·ing.un·timed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH time

thyme, time

Words nearby time

timberwork, timberyard, timbre, timbrel, Timbuktu, time, time after time, time and a half, time and motion study, Time and tide wait for no man, time bill

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for time

I can’t remember the first time I held one, but I also can’t remember a time before I did.
The Rise and Fall of the Rice Cake, America’s One-Time Favorite Health Snack|Brenna Houck|September 17, 2020|Eater
Every time he goes anywhere where he might encounter other people, they’re tested, just as he’s tested for the virus regularly.
In 160 words, Trump reveals how little he cares about the pandemic|Philip Bump|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
The Greens dawdled in filing their challenge, during which time county clerks began putting the ballots together.
The Trailer: The First State goes last|David Weigel|September 15, 2020|Washington Post
In September of 2018, the NLRB majority moved for a third time to curtail the Obama-era joint-employer rule, this time through a rulemaking process.
“Cover Up”: House Democrats Subpoena Documents That NLRB Refused to Share in Ethics Investigation|by Ian MacDougall|September 15, 2020|ProPublica

I suggested iMessage, since that’s how we communicate about 90 percent of the time anyway.
A Very Informal Interview with Mitsu Iwasaki|Brendan Leonard|September 14, 2020|Outside Online
Since the 1950s, fluoride has adapted itself to the prevailing concerns of the time.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
But give the Kingdom credit for its sense of mercy: The lashes will be administered only 50 at a time.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“I think for trans men who are dating every time they hook up they have another coming out,” Sandler said.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
No one wants to align with less freedom at a time like this.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This time it would be the biggest mistake for the Western press to repeat that—absolutely the biggest mistake.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her eyes might find no blemish in his person, and Love knocked upon her heart, requiring her to love, since her time had come.
French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France|Marie de France
It was his nature to be happy and jolly; he could not help radiating sunshine all the time.
The Boy Scouts of the Naval Reserve|Robert Shaler
In time of war the Athenians send to their foes safe conducts to induce them to assist at the celebration.
Pagan Origin of Partialist Doctrines|John Claudius Pitrat
Strangers who come at this time of day at once enter the family circle.
Historic Highways of America (Vol. 12)|Archer Butler Hulbert
But during this time, I had to undergo a trial, for which I was entirely unprepared.
The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave|William Wells Brown

British Dictionary definitions for time

time

/ (taɪm) /

noun

the continuous passage of existence in which events pass from a state of potentiality in the future, through the present, to a state of finality in the past
(as modifier)time travel Related adjective: temporal

physics a quantity measuring duration, usually with reference to a periodic process such as the rotation of the earth or the vibration of electromagnetic radiation emitted from certain atoms. In classical mechanics, time is absolute in the sense that the time of an event is independent of the observer. According to the theory of relativity it depends on the observer's frame of reference. Time is considered as a fourth coordinate required, along with three spatial coordinates, to specify an eventSee caesium clock, second 2 (def. 1), space-time

a specific point on this continuum expressed in terms of hours and minutesthe time is four o'clock

a system of reckoning for expressing timeGreenwich mean time

a definite and measurable portion of this continuum
(as modifier)time limit

an accepted period such as a day, season, etc
(in combination)springtime

an unspecified interval; a whileI was there for a time

(often plural) a period or point marked by specific attributes or eventsthe Victorian times; time for breakfast

a sufficient interval or periodhave you got time to help me?

an instance or occasionI called you three times

an occasion or period of specified qualityhave a good time; a miserable time

the duration of human existence

the heyday of human lifein her time she was a great star

a suitable period or momentit's time I told you

the expected interval in which something is donethe flying time from New York to London was seven hours

a particularly important moment, esp childbirth or deathher time had come

(plural) indicating a degree or amount calculated by multiplication with the number specifiedten times three is thirty; he earns four times as much as me

(often plural) the fashions, thought, etc, of the present age (esp in the phrases ahead of one's time, behind the times)

British (in bars, pubs, etc) short for closing time

informal a term in jail (esp in the phrase do time)

a customary or full period of work
the rate of pay for this period

Also (esp US): metre

the system of combining beats or pulses in music into successive groupings by which the rhythm of the music is established
a specific system having a specific number of beats in each grouping or barduple time

music short for time value

prosody a unit of duration used in the measurement of poetic metre; mora

against time in an effort to complete something in a limited period

ahead of time before the deadline

all in good time in due course

all the time continuously

at one time

once; formerly
simultaneously

at the same time

simultaneously
nevertheless; however

at times sometimes

beat time (of a conductor, etc) to indicate the tempo or pulse of a piece of music by waving a baton or a hand, tapping out the beats, etc

before one's time prematurely

for the time being for the moment; temporarily

from time to time at intervals; occasionally

gain time See gain 1 (def. 9)

have no time for to have no patience with; not tolerate

in good time

early
quickly

in no time very quickly; almost instantaneously

in one's own time

outside paid working hours
at one's own rate

in time

early or at the appointed time
eventually
music at a correct metrical or rhythmic pulse

keep time to observe correctly the accent or rhythmic pulse of a piece of music in relation to tempo

lose time (of a timepiece) to operate too slowly

lose no time to do something without delay

make time

to find an opportunity
(often foll by with) US informal to succeed in seducing

See mark 1 (def. 35)

in the nick of time at the last possible moment; at the critical moment

on time

at the expected or scheduled time
US payable in instalments

pass the time of day to exchange casual greetings (with an acquaintance)

time about Scot alternately; turn and turn about

time and again frequently

time off a period when one is absent from work for a holiday, through sickness, etc

time on Australian an additional period played at the end of a match, to compensate for time lost through injury or (in certain circumstances) to allow the teams to achieve a conclusive resultAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): extra time

time out of mind from time immemorial

time of one's life a memorably enjoyable time

(modifier) operating automatically at or for a set time, for security or conveniencetime lock; time switch

verb (tr)

to ascertain or calculate the duration or speed of

to set a time for

to adjust to keep accurate time

to pick a suitable time for

sport to control the execution or speed of (an action, esp a shot or stroke) so that it has its full effect at the right moment

interjection

the word called out by a publican signalling that it is closing time

Word Origin for time

Old English tīma; related to Old English tīd time, Old Norse tīmi, Alemannic zīme; see tide 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

Medical definitions for time

time

[ tīm ]

n.

A duration or relation of events expressed in terms of past, present, and future, and measured in units such as minutes, hours, days, months, or years.

A certain period during which something is done.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for time

time

[ tīm ]

A continuous, measurable quantity in which events occur in a sequence proceeding from the past through the present to the future. See Note at space-time.

An interval separating two points of this quantity; a duration.
A system or reference frame in which such intervals are measured or such quantities are calculated.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with time

time

In addition to the idioms beginning with time

time after time
time and a half
time and tide wait for no man
time bomb
time flies
time hangs heavy
time immemorial
time is money
time is ripe
time is up
time of day
time off
time of one's life
time on one's hands
time out
time out of mind
time warp
time was
time will tell

also see:

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

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