(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
An ~ is an extremely short period of time.
For an ~, Catherine was tempted to flee...
The pain disappeared in an ~.
= moment
N-COUNT: usu sing
2.
If you say that something happens at a particular ~, you mean that it happens at exactly the time you have been referring to, and you are usually suggesting that it happens quickly or immediately.
At that ~ the museum was plunged into total darkness...
= moment
N-SING: with supp, usu at/in N
3.
To do something the ~ something else happens means to do it immediately.
I had bolted the door the ~ I had seen the bat.
PHRASE emphasis
4.
You use ~ to describe something that happens immediately.
He had taken an ~ dislike to Mortlake.
= immediate
ADJ: usu ADJ n
~ly
The man was killed ~ly...
ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj
5.
Instant food is food that you can prepare very quickly, for example by just adding water.
...~ coffee.
ADJ: ADJ n