timer

[tahy-mer]

noun

1. a person or thing that times. times.

2. a person who measures or records time. times.

3. a device for indicating or measuring elapsed time, times, as a stopwatch.

4. a device for controlling machinery, appliances, or the like, in a specified way at a predetermined time: times.

   Please put the roast in the oven and set the timer to cook it for two hours.

5. (in an internal-combustion engine) a set of points actuated by a cam, which causes the spark for igniting the charge at the instant required.

timer

/ ˈtaɪmə /

noun

1. a device for measuring, recording, or indicating time

2. a switch or regulator that causes a mechanism to operate at a specific time or at predetermined intervals

3. a person or thing that times

Word History and Origins

Origin of timer¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; time + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Earick has fuelled speculation by posting an image of the dressing room at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on social media, including a timer counting down the 27 days to 24 October.

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Young adults in hiking gear sipped beers beneath chandeliers shaped like wagon wheels as old timers with gray ponytails and cowboy hats chatted with a tattooed bartender.

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A stop clock was also introduced last month where a timer counts down from 60 seconds between overs.

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Irrigation systems that involve drip or trickle irrigation only, which are fitted with a pressure reducing valve, a timer and are not handheld, are also allowed.

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Baristas walk guests through the steps of brewing and pouring the tea, providing a timer for the perfect steep.

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Related Words

• timepiece 
• wristwatch