Time

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Time, n. [OE. time, AS. tīma, akin to tīd time, and to Icel. tīmi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. √58. See Tide, n.].

•  Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms which designate limited portions thereof.  [1913 Webster]

  "The time wasteth [i. e. passes away] night and day."  [1913 Webster]

  "I know of no ideas . . . that have a better claim to be accounted simple and original than those of space and time."  [1913 Webster]
•  A particular period or part of duration, whether past, present, or future; a point or portion of duration; as, the time was, or has been; the time is, or will be.  [1913 Webster]

  "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets."  [1913 Webster]
•  The period at which any definite event occurred, or person lived; age; period; era; as, the Spanish Armada was destroyed in the time of Queen Elizabeth; -- often in the plural; as, ancient times; modern times.  [1913 Webster]
•  The duration of one's life; the hours and days which a person has at his disposal.  [1913 Webster]

  "Believe me, your time is not your own; it belongs to God, to religion, to mankind."  [1913 Webster]
•  A proper time; a season; an opportunity.  [1913 Webster]

  "There is . . . a time to every purpose."  [1913 Webster]

  "The time of figs was not yet."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hour of travail, delivery, or parturition.  [1913 Webster]

  "She was within one month of her time."  [1913 Webster]
•  Performance or occurrence of an action or event, considered with reference to repetition; addition of a number to itself; repetition; as, to double cloth four times; four times four, or sixteen.  [1913 Webster]

  "Summers three times eight save one."  [1913 Webster]
•  The present life; existence in this world as contrasted with immortal life; definite, as contrasted with infinite, duration.  [1913 Webster]

  "Till time and sin together cease."  [1913 Webster]
•  Tense.  [1913 Webster]
•  The measured duration of sounds; measure; tempo; rate of movement; rhythmical division; as, common or triple time; the musician keeps good time.  [1913 Webster]

  " Time is often used in the formation of compounds, mostly self-explaining; as, time-battered, time-beguiling, time-consecrated, time-consuming, time-enduring, time-killing, time-sanctioned, time-scorner, time-wasting, time-worn, etc."  [1913 Webster]

  "Some few lines set unto a solemn time."  [1913 Webster]

Absolute time, time irrespective of local standards or epochs; as, all spectators see a lunar eclipse at the same instant of absolute time. -- Apparent time, the time of day reckoned by the sun, or so that 12 o'clock at the place is the instant of the transit of the sun's center over the meridian. -- Astronomical time, mean solar time reckoned by counting the hours continuously up to twenty-four from one noon to the next. -- At times, at distinct intervals of duration; now and then; as, at times he reads, at other times he rides. -- Civil time, time as reckoned for the purposes of common life in distinct periods, as years, months, days, hours, etc., the latter, among most modern nations, being divided into two series of twelve each, and reckoned, the first series from midnight to noon, the second, from noon to midnight. -- Common time (Mil.), the ordinary time of marching, in which ninety steps, each twenty-eight inches in length, are taken in one minute. -- Equation of time. See under Equation, n. -- In time. (a) In good season; sufficiently early; as, he arrived in time to see the exhibition. (b) After a considerable space of duration; eventually; finally; as, you will in time recover your health and strength. -- Mean time. See under 4th Mean. -- Quick time (Mil.), time of marching, in which one hundred and twenty steps, each thirty inches in length, are taken in one minute. -- Sidereal time. See under Sidereal. -- Standard time, the civil time that has been established by law or by general usage over a region or country. In England the standard time is Greenwich mean solar time. In the United States and Canada four kinds of standard time have been adopted by the railroads and accepted by the people, viz., Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific time, corresponding severally to the mean local times of the 75th, 90th, 105th, and 120th meridians west from Greenwich, and being therefore five, six, seven, and eight hours slower than Greenwich time. -- Time ball, a ball arranged to drop from the summit of a pole, to indicate true midday time, as at Greenwich Observatory, England. Nichol. -- Time bargain (Com.), a contract made for the sale or purchase of merchandise, or of stock in the public funds, at a certain time in the future.<-- = a futures contract? --> -- Time bill. Same as Time-table. [Eng.] -- Time book, a book in which is kept a record of the time persons have worked. -- Time detector, a timepiece provided with a device for registering and indicating the exact time when a watchman visits certain stations in his beat. -- Time enough, in season; early enough. “Stanly at Bosworth field, . . . came time enough to save his life.” Bacon. -- Time fuse, a fuse, as for an explosive projectile, which can be so arranged as to ignite the charge at a certain definite interval after being itself ignited. -- Time immemorial, or Time out of mind. (Eng. Law) See under Immemorial. -- Time lock, a lock having clockwork attached, which, when wound up, prevents the bolt from being withdrawn when locked, until a certain interval of time has elapsed. -- Time of day, salutation appropriate to the times of the day, as “good morning,” “good evening,” and the like; greeting. -- To kill time. See under Kill, v. t. -- To make time. (a) To gain time. (b) To occupy or use (a certain) time in doing something; as, the trotting horse made fast time. -- To move against time, To run against time, or To go against time, to move, run, or go a given distance without a competitor, in the quickest possible time; or, to accomplish the greatest distance which can be passed over in a given time; as, the horse is to run against time. -- True time. (a) Mean time as kept by a clock going uniformly. (b) (Astron.) Apparent time as reckoned from the transit of the sun's center over the meridian.

Time, v. t. 

•  To appoint the time for; to bring, begin, or perform at the proper season or time; as, he timed his appearance rightly.  [1913 Webster]

  "There is no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things."  [1913 Webster]
•  To regulate as to time; to accompany, or agree with, in time of movement.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who overlooked the oars, and timed the stroke."  [1913 Webster]

  "He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
  Was timed with dying cries."  [1913 Webster]
•  To ascertain or record the time, duration, or rate of; as, to time the speed of horses, or hours for workmen.  [1913 Webster]
•  To measure, as in music or harmony.  [1913 Webster]

Time, v. i. 

•  To keep or beat time; to proceed or move in time.  [1913 Webster]

  "With oar strokes timing to their song."  [1913 Webster]
•  To pass time; to delay.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Time, n. & v.
--n.
1 the indefinite continued progress of existence, events, etc., in past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
2 a the progress of this as affecting persons or things (stood the test of time). b (Time) (in full Father Time) the personification of time, esp. as an old man with a scythe and hourglass.
3 a more or less definite portion of time belonging to particular events or circumstances (the time of the Plague; prehistoric times; the scientists of the time).
4 an allotted, available, or measurable portion of time; the period of time at one's disposal (am wasting my time; had no time to visit; how much time do you need?).
5 a point of time esp. in hours and minutes (the time is 7.30; what time is it?).
6 (prec. by a) an indefinite period (waited for a time).
7 time or an amount of time as reckoned by a conventional standard (the time allowed is one hour; ran the mile in record time; eight o'clock New York time).
8 a an occasion (last time I saw you). b an event or occasion qualified in some way (had a good time).
9 a moment or definite portion of time destined or suitable for a purpose etc. (now is the time to act; shall we fix a time?).
10 (in pl.) expressing multiplication (is four times as old; five times six is thirty).
11 a lifetime (will last my time).
12 (in sing. or pl.) a the conditions of life or of a period (hard times; times have changed). b (prec. by the) the present age, or that being considered.
13 colloq. a prison sentence (is doing time).
14 an apprenticeship (served his time).
15 a period of gestation.
16 the date or expected date of childbirth (is near her time) or of death (my time is drawing near).
17 measured time spent in work (put them on short time).
18 a any of several rhythmic patterns of music (in waltz time). b the duration of a note as indicated by a crotchet, minim, etc.
19 Brit. the moment at which the opening hours of a public house end.
--v.tr.
1 choose the time or occasion for (time your remarks carefully).
2 do at a chosen or correct time.
3 arrange the time of arrival of.
4 ascertain the time taken by (a process or activity, or a person doing it).
5 regulate the duration or interval of; set times for (trains are timed to arrive every hour).

Idiom

against time with utmost speed, so as to finish by a specified time (working against time). ahead of time earlier than expected. ahead of one's time having ideas too enlightened or advanced to be accepted by one's contemporaries. all the time
1 during the whole of the time referred to (often despite some contrary expectation etc.) (we never noticed, but he was there all the time).
2 constantly (nags all the time).
3 at all times (leaves a light on all the time).
at one time
1 in or during a known but unspecified past period.
2 simultaneously (ran three businesses at one time).
at the same time
1 simultaneously; at a time that is the same for all.
2 nevertheless (at the same time, I do not want to offend you). at a time separately in the specified groups or numbers (came three at a time). at times occasionally, intermittently. before time (usu. prec. by not) before the due or expected time. before one's time prematurely (old before his time). for the time being for the present; until some other arrangement is made. half the time colloq. as often as not.
have no time for
1 be unable or unwilling to spend time on.
2 dislike.
have the time
1 be able to spend the time needed.
2 know from a watch etc. what time it is. have a time of it undergo trouble or difficulty.
in no (or less than no) time
1 very soon.
2 very quickly. in one's own good time at a time and a rate decided by oneself. in one's own time outside working hours.
in time
1 not late, punctual (was in time to catch the bus).
2 eventually (in time you may agree).
3 in accordance with a given rhythm or tempo, esp. of music. in one's time at or during some previous period of one's life (in his time he was a great hurdler).
keep good (or bad) time
1 (of a clock etc.) record time accurately (or inaccurately).
2 be habitually punctual (or not punctual). keep time move or sing etc. in time. know the time of day be well informed. lose no time (often foll. by in + verbal noun) act immediately (lost no time in cashing the cheque). not before time not too soon; timely. no time colloq. a very short interval (it was no time before they came). out of time unseasonable; unseasonably. pass the time of day colloq. exchange a greeting or casual remarks.
time after time
1 repeatedly, on many occasions.
2 in many instances. time and (or time and time) again on many occasions. time and a half a rate of payment for work at one and a half times the normal rate. time-and-motion (usu. attrib.) concerned with measuring the efficiency of industrial and other operations. time bomb a bomb designed to explode at a pre-set time. time capsule a box etc. containing objects typical of the present time, buried for discovery in the future.
time clock
1 a clock with a device for recording workers' hours of work.
2 a switch mechanism activated at pre-set times by a built-in clock. time-consuming using much or too much time. time exposure the exposure of photographic film for longer than the maximum normal shutter setting. time factor the passage of time as a limitation on what can be achieved. time-fuse a fuse calculated to burn for or explode at a given time. time-honoured esteemed by tradition or through custom. time immemorial (or out of mind) a longer time than anyone can remember or trace. time-lag an interval of time between an event, a cause, etc. and its effect. time-lapse (of photography) using frames taken at long intervals to photograph a slow process, and shown continuously as if at normal speed. time-limit the limit of time within which a task must be done. the time of day the hour by the clock. time off time for rest or recreation etc. the time of one's life a period or occasion of exceptional enjoyment. time out esp.
US
1 a brief intermission in a game etc.
2 = time off. time-scale the time allowed for or taken by a sequence of events in relation to a broader period of time. time-served having completed a period of apprenticeship or training. time-server a person who changes his or her view to suit the prevailing circumstances, fashion, etc. time-share a share in a property under a time-sharing scheme.
time-sharing
1 the operation of a computer system by several users for different operations at one time.
2 the use of a holiday home at agreed different times by several joint owners. time sheet a sheet of paper for recording hours of work etc. time signal an audible (esp. broadcast) signal or announcement of the exact time of day. time signature Mus. an indication of tempo following a clef, expressed as a fraction with the numerator giving the number of beats in each bar and the denominator giving the duration of each beat. time switch a switch acting automatically at a pre-set time. time warp an imaginary distortion of space in relation to time, whereby persons or objects of one age can be moved to another. time was there was a time (time was when I could do that). time-work work paid for by the time it takes. time-worn impaired by age. time zone a range of longitudes where a common standard time is used .

Etymology

OE tima f. Gmc

THESAURUS

Time

Archean, Archeozoic, Cambrian, Carboniferous, Cenozoic, Comanchean, Cretaceous, Devonian, Eocene, Glacial, Holocene, International Date Line, Lower Cretaceous, Lower Tertiary, Mesozoic, Miocene, Mississippian, Oligocene, Paleocene, Paleozoic, Pennsylvanian, Permian, Platonic year, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Precambrian, Proterozoic, Quaternary, Recent, Silurian, Tertiary, Triassic, Upper Cretaceous, Upper Tertiary, a leg up, accompany, adjust, aeon, again and again, age, agree, ahead of time, all at once, all the same, all the time, all together, always, anchor watch, andante tempo, annus magnus, anon, antedate, antiquated, at all times, at intervals, at once, at one time, at times, be in phase, be in time, beat, beat time, beforehand, behind the times, bell, bender, bit, book, bout, brannigan, break, bright and early, bust, but, carousal, carouse, chance, circumstance, clear stage, clock, coexist, coextend, coincide, compotation, compound time, concur, conditions, constantly, contemporize, continually, continuous tenure, continuously, control, convenience, culture, cycle, cycle of indiction, date, date line, dated, datemark, dawdle, day, day shift, days, dead, delay, dogwatch, duple time, duration, early, ease, enlistment, epoch, era, even so, eventually, ever, every so often, everything, experience, fair field, fair game, fateful moment, fix, fix the time, for the moment, for the nonce, formerly, forthwith, free time, freedom, frequently, full time, generation, go, goof-off time, graveyard shift, great year, habits, half time, heretofore, heyday, hitch, hour, however, idle hours, immediately, in good time, in no time, in time, in unison, indiction, inning, innings, instant, interval, isochronize, jag, juncture, just the same, kairos, keep in step, keep pace with, keep time, largo, leisure, liberty, life, lifetime, linger, lobster trick, loiter, look-in, many times, march tempo, mark time, match, meanwhile, measure, measure time, minute, mixed times, moment, moment of truth, mores, nevertheless, night shift, nonetheless, notwithstanding, obsolescent, obsolete, occasion, occasionally, odd moments, often, old hat, old-fashioned, on account, on credit, on occasion, on one occasion, on terms, on the dot, on time, once, one day, opening, opportunism, opportunity, organize, outdated, outmoded, overtime, pace, part time, passe, patch, period, perpetually, place, plan, point, point of time, postdate, pregnant moment, prematurely, presto, previously, prison term, pro tem, pro tempore, program, psychological moment, punctually, quickly, rag, ragtime, regulate, relay, relief, repeatedly, repose, rest, retirement, rhythm, room, round, rubato, say, schedule, scope, season, semiretirement, set, set the time, set up, sextuple time, shift, shilly-shally, shot, show, simple time, simultaneously, someday, sometime, sometimes, soon, sooner or later, space, span, spare time, speedily, spell, split schedule, split shift, spree, squeak, stage, stepping-stone, stint, straightaway, stretch, sunrise watch, swiftly, swing shift, synchronize, syncopation, syncope, tempo, tempo rubato, temporarily, tenure, term, the time, things, three-quarter time, time after time, time and again, time at bat, time lag, time of day, time pattern, time signal, time to kill, time to spare, times, timing, together, tour, tour of duty, trick, triple time, triplet, turn, turn of work, two-four time, unceasingly, values, waltz time, watch, whack, whet, while, without delay, work shift, yet

ROGET THESAURUS

Time

Leisure

N leisure, convenience, spare time, spare hours, spare moments, vacant hour, time, time to spare, time on one's hands, holiday, relaxation, otium cum dignitate, ease, no hurry, no big rush, no deadline, leisure, leisurely, slow, deliberate, quiet, calm, undisturbed, at leisure, at one's ease, at loose ends, at a loose end, unhurriedly, deliberately, without undue haste, anytime, time hanging heavy on one's hands, eile mit Weile.

Time

N time, duration, period, term, stage, space, span, spell, season, the whole time, the whole period, space-time, course, snap, intermediate time, while, interim, interval, pendency, intervention, intermission, intermittence, interregnum, interlude, respite, era, epoch, time of life, age, year, date, decade, moment, glass of time, sands of time, march of time, Father Time, ravages of time, arrow of time, river of time, whirligig of time, noiseless foot of time, scythe, continuing, on foot, permanent, while, whilst, during, pending, during the time, during the interval, in the course of, at that point, at that point in time, for the time being, day by day, in the time of, when, meantime, meanwhile, in the meantime, in the interim, ad interim, pendente lite, de die in diem, from day to day, from hour to hour, hourly, always, for a time, for a season, till, until, up to, yet, as far as, by that time, so far, hereunto, heretofore, prior to this, up to this point, the whole time, all the time, all along, throughout, for good, hereupon, thereupon, whereupon, then, anno Domini, A, D, ante Christum, A, C, before Christ, B, C, anno urbis conditae, A, U, C, anno regni, A, R, once upon a time, one fine morning, one fine day, one day, once, time flies, tempus fugit, time runs out, time runs against, race against time, racing the clock, time marches on, time is of the essence, time and tide wait for no man, ad calendas Groecas, panting Time toileth after him in vain, 'gainst the tooth of time and razure of oblivion, rich with the spoils of time, tempus edax rerum, the long hours come and go, the time is out of joint, Time rolls his ceaseless course, Time the foe of man's dominion, time wasted is existence, used is life, truditur dies die, volat hora per orbem, carpe diem.

Instantaneity

N instantaneity, instantaneousness, immediacy, suddenness, abruptness, moment, instant, second, minute, twinkling, trice, flash, breath, crack, jiffy, coup, burst, flash of lightning, stroke of time, epoch, time, time of day, time of night, hour, minute, very minute, very time, very hour, present time, right time, true time, exact correct time, instantaneous, momentary, sudden, immediate, instant, abrupt, discontinuous, precipitous, precipitant, precipitate, subitaneous, hasty, quick as thought, quick as lightning, quick as a flash, rapid as electricity, speedy, quick, fast, fleet, swift, lively, blitz, rapid (velocity), instantaneously, in no time, in less than no time, presto, subito, instanter, suddenly, at a stroke, like a shot, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, in the twinkling of an eye, in a trice, in one's tracks, right away, toute a l'heure, at one jump, in the same breath, per saltum, uno saltu, at once, all at once, plump, slap, at one fell swoop, at the same instant, immediately, extempore, on the moment, on the spot, on the spur of the moment, no sooner said than done, just then, slap-dash, touch and go, no sooner said than done.