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definitions

timing

[tahy-ming]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR timing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Theater.
  1. a synchronizing of the various parts of a production for theatrical effect.
  2. the result or effect thus achieved.
  3. (in acting) the act of adjusting one's tempo of speaking and moving for dramatic effect.
Sports. the control of the speed of a stroke, blow, etc., in order that it may reach its maximum at the proper moment.
the selecting of the best time or speed for doing something in order to achieve the desired or maximum result: I went to ask for a raise, but my timing was bad, since the boss had indigestion.
an act or instance of observing and recording the elapsed time of an act, contest, process, etc.

Origin of timing

1200–50; 1590–1600 for def 4; Middle English: hap, occurrence; see time, -ing1

time

[tahym]

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.
  1. 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.
  2. the period or era now or previously present: a sign of the times; How times have changed!
  3. 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.
  1. tempo; relative rapidity of movement.
  2. the metrical duration of a note or rest.
  3. proper or characteristic tempo.
  4. the general movement of a particular kind of musical composition with reference to its rhythm, metrical structure, and tempo.
  5. 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.

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
Related formsre·time, verb (used with object), re·timed, re·tim·ing.un·timed, adjective
Can be confusedthyme time

Synonyms for time

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR time ON THESAURUS.COM
4. term, spell, span. 6. epoch, era.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for timing

peg, compute, survey, fit, evaluate, average, limit, rank, mark, assess, adjust, gauge, determine, quantify, weigh, estimate, regulate, check, calibrate, predate

Examples from the Web for timing

Contemporary Examples of timing

Historical Examples of timing

  • One of Senator Crane's priceless gifts was a sense of timing.

    Ten From Infinity

    Paul W. Fairman

  • Carefully he regulated the speed, timing their revolutions accurately.

    The Panchronicon

    Harold Steele Mackaye

  • I have not till now alluded to any imperfections in the timing apparatus.

    The Splash of a Drop

    A. M. Worthington

  • Parachute, capsule and timing device were of good workmanship.

    The Good Neighbors

    Edgar Pangborn

  • The heart be submissive, and content to leave the measure and timing of them to Him.

British Dictionary definitions for timing

timing

noun

the process or art of regulating actions or remarks in relation to others to produce the best effect, as in music, the theatre, sport, etc

time

noun

  1. 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
  2. (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
  1. a definite and measurable portion of this continuum
  2. (as modifier)time limit
  1. an accepted period such as a day, season, etc
  2. (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)
  1. a customary or full period of work
  2. the rate of pay for this period
Also (esp US): metre
  1. the system of combining beats or pulses in music into successive groupings by which the rhythm of the music is established
  2. 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
  1. once; formerly
  2. simultaneously
at the same time
  1. simultaneously
  2. 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
  1. early
  2. quickly
in no time very quickly; almost instantaneously
in one's own time
  1. outside paid working hours
  2. at one's own rate
in time
  1. early or at the appointed time
  2. eventually
  3. musicat 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
  1. to find an opportunity
  2. (often foll by with) US informalto succeed in seducing
See mark 1 (def. 35)
in the nick of time at the last possible moment; at the critical moment
on time
  1. at the expected or scheduled time
  2. USpayable 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
Word Origin and History for timing

time

n.

Old English tima "limited space of time," from Proto-Germanic *timon "time" (cf. Old Norse timi "time, proper time," Swedish timme "an hour"), from PIE *di-mon-, from root *da- "cut up, divide" (see tide).

Abstract sense of "time as an indefinite continuous duration" is recorded from late 14c. Personified since at least 1509 as an aged bald man (but with a forelock) carrying a scythe and an hour-glass. In English, a single word encompasses time as "extent" and "point" (French temps/fois, German zeit/mal) as well as "hour" (e.g. "what time is it?" cf. French heure, German Uhr). Extended senses such as "occasion," "the right time," "leisure," or times (v.) "multiplied by" developed in Old and Middle English, probably as a natural outgrowth of phrases like, "He commends her a hundred times to God" (Old French La comande a Deu cent foiz).

to have a good time ( = a time of enjoyment) was common in Eng. from c 1520 to c 1688; it was app. retained in America, whence readopted in Britain in 19th c. [OED]

Time of day (now mainly preserved in negation, i.e. what someone won't give you if he doesn't like you) was a popular 17c. salutation (e.g. "Good time of day vnto your Royall Grace," "Richard III," I.iii.18). Times as the name of a newspaper dates from 1788. Time warp first attested 1954; time capsule first recorded 1938, in reference to New York World's Fair; time-traveling in the science fiction sense first recorded 1895 in H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine." To do time "serve a prison sentence" is from 1865. Time frame is attested by 1964; time line (also timeline) by 1890; time-limit is from 1880. About time, ironically for "long past due time," is recorded from 1920. Behind the times "old-fashioned" is recorded from 1846, first attested in Dickens.

time

v.

Old English getimian "to happen, befall," from time (n.). Meaning "to appoint a time" (of an action, etc.) is attested from c.1300; sense of "to record the time of" (a race, event, etc.) is first attested 1660s. Related: Timed; timing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
timing in Medicine

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.
timing in Science

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.
  1. An interval separating two points of this quantity; a duration.
  2. 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 timing

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:

  • about time
  • against the clock (time)
  • ahead of one's time
  • ahead of time
  • all the time
  • at all times
  • at one time
  • at one time or another
  • at the same time
  • at this point (in time)
  • at times
  • beat time
  • behind in (time)
  • behind the times
  • bide one's time
  • big time
  • buy time
  • call one's (time one's) own
  • chow down (time)
  • crunch time
  • do time
  • every time one turns around
  • for the moment (time being)
  • from time to time
  • good-time Charlie
  • hard time
  • have a good time
  • high time
  • in between times
  • in due course (of time)
  • in good time
  • in no time
  • in the fullness of time
  • in the nick of time
  • in time
  • keep time
  • keep up (with the times)
  • kill time
  • less than (no time)
  • long time no see
  • lose time
  • make good time
  • make time
  • make up for lost time
  • many is the (time)
  • mark time
  • not give someone the time of day
  • no time for
  • no time like the present
  • of one's life, time
  • on borrowed time
  • once upon a time
  • one by one (at a time)
  • on one's own time
  • on time
  • pass the time
  • play for time
  • point in time
  • pressed for time
  • serve time
  • show someone a good time
  • small time
  • stitch in time
  • take one's time
  • take up space (time)
  • tell time
  • whale of a time
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.