timer

American  

[tahy-mer] / ˈtaɪ mər /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Etymology

Origin of timer

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

Example Sentences

He found that ratios in the middle of their historical distribution conveyed little information of value to a market timer; only extremely high or extremely low readings were worth following.

From MarketWatch

Goodrow agreed that children should not be losing sleep watching YouTube, saying that is why the platform came up with features like view timers and prompts to take breaks.

From Barron's

Low-cost, tube-shaped speakers with always-listening microphones invade our homes, allowing us to set timers, check the weather and play music.

From The Wall Street Journal

Modern options can be attractive—or at least unobtrusive—enough to leave draped over a sofa or chair, and they feature user-friendly timers and detachable, machine-washable fabrics.

From The Wall Street Journal

The average short-term timer that my firm tracks reduced recommended equity exposure on Tuesday by almost 20 percentage points, as judged by the Hulbert Stock Newsletter Sentiment Index.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• timepiece
• wristwatch