I. ˈtīm noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English time, tyme, from Old English tīma, tȳma; akin to Old Norse tīmi time, Old English tīd time — more at tide
1.
a. : a period during which something (as an action, process, or condition) exists or continues : an interval comprising a limited and continuous action, condition, or state of being : measured or measurable duration
no one had spoken to him all the time we were at lunch — Ernest Hemingway
could not sleep, and after a time he rose — Louis Bromfield
gone a long time
written in three hours' time
b. : a period set apart in some specified or implied way from others
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance — Eccles 3:4 (Authorized Version)
Saturday evenings, traditional shopping time for millworkers and farmers — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
c.
(1) : a period sufficiently or conveniently long
just time to reach shelter before the storm broke
there is no time here to trace the means by which these errors of planning were corrected — American Guide Series: New York
(2) : leisure
there was time for athletic sports and private reading — Lucien Price
as much good music as he has time to listen to — Report: (Canadian) Royal Commission on National Development
(3) : the length of the period required for or consumed in performing an action or going over a course
the winner's time was just under four minutes
the time of the train trip was two hours
(4) slang : progress in winning favor or sexual acceptance
two guys tried to beat each other's time around the women — Russell Thacher
the guy … trying to make time with his secretary — Bennett Cerf
d. : a period or segment of the radio or television broadcasting day
one of the first to insist on the sale of radio time for both sides of a controversial issue — C.C.Barry
2.
a. : a point or period when something occurs : the moment of an event, process, or condition : occasion
we were not twenty yards from the rocks, at the time that the ship passed abreast of them — Frederick Marryat
from that time she was his tennis instructor and patron — Current Biography
b. : an opportune, convenient, or suitable moment or period : a favorable opportunity or occasion
biding his time
the time has come to sift and synthesize the findings of these works — Julian Towster
notice in him any sense of times and occasions and the demands of social etiquette — L.P.Smith
3. : an appointed, fixed, or customary moment or hour for something to happen, begin, or end
spring came ahead of time this year
a half-hour before edition time — William DuBois
as
a. : the normal or expected moment or period of death
you'll die before your time — W.J.Reilly
b. : the normal end of the period of gestation : the expected moment of childbirth
when her time has come, counted by the moons, she betakes herself to a special little hut built for the women — Corinne Feeney
c. : a scheduled moment of arrival or departure
asked for the time of the next northbound train
d. Britain : the legally fixed closing hour of a public house
4.
a. : a period associated with or characterized or dated by reference to a particular individual
lived in the time of Elizabeth I
one of the most popular writers of his time
b.
(1) : an historical period : age , era
a fast moving time such as we are now in — T.K.Finletter
geography could not fail to share in the mathematical advances of the time — Benjamin Farrington
— often used in plural
ancient times
modern times
(2) : a division of geologic chronology
c. : conditions prevalent at present or in a specified or implied period of the past : state of things
the time is out of joint — Shakespeare
— usually used in plural
refused to follow the trend of the times — Gerard MacGowan
behind the times
move with the times
d. : the present time — used with the
many of the most important issues of the time — Brand Blanshard
5. : a known, fixed, or anticipated period of existence or duration: as
a. : lifetime
one man in his time plays many parts — Shakespeare
b. : a period of apprenticeship
apprentices in the last year of their time — John Southward
c. : a term of military service
had been enlisted for a short term only, and before the end of December … would have served their time — H.E.Scudder
d. : a prison sentence
did time for lying about his bank accounts — P.F.Healy
6.
a. : season
that time of year thou mayst in me behold — Shakespeare
it's very hot for this time of year
b. : a point or portion of a day or year recurring periodically or established by routine — usually used in combination
dinner- time
rest- time
examination- time
vacation- time
7.
a. : a unit of duration as a basis for poetic meter ; especially : mora 2a
b. : rate of speed (as in marching, dancing, speaking) : tempo
the woman dances regular time to the music — Chandler Brossard
did this in slow time , talking and laughing together — H.V.Morton
c.
(1) : the grouping of the successive rhythmic beats or pulses as represented by a musical note taken as a time unit into measures or bars that are marked off by bar lines according to the position of the principal accent : meter , rhythm
(2) : the rate or tempo at which a piece is performed
8.
a. : a definite moment, hour, day, or year as indicated or fixed by a clock or calendar : a precise instant or date
the time was midnight
we do not know the exact time of his birth
what time is it
b.
(1) : a number that represents the duration of a process or condition or the interval elapsing between two events and that is obtained in effect by counting a series of arbitrarily chosen regularly recurrent events (as the swings of a pendulum) that take place during the interval to be measured
(2) : a number (as on a clock dial or calendar) that marks the occurrence of a specified event as to hour or date and that is obtained by counting from a fiducial epoch (as that of a meridian passage of the sun or the birth of Christ)
c. : reckoning of time : a system of reckoning the lapse or progress of time — see sidereal time , solar time , standard time
9.
a. : one of a series of recurring instances or repeated acts or actions
he took the stairs four at a time — Phoenix Flame
a machine that can perform three operations at a time
been told that many times
b. times plural
(1) : multiplied instances
five times greater
(2) : equal fractional parts of which an indicated number equal a comparatively greater quantity
seven times smaller
three times closer
c. : turn
got two hits out of three times at bat
10.
a. : finite duration : the duration of one's life or of the material universe as contrasted with infinite duration
time , that takes survey of all the world, must have a stop — Shakespeare
b. : father time
11.
a. Platonism : a reality that is an absolute flowing apart from the events filling it
b. Aristotelianism : the numerable aspect of motion
c. Kantianism : the a priori form of inner sensible intuitions that have no existence independently of the mind and are a subjective mode in which phenomena appear — see objective time , subjective time
12.
a. : a person's experience during a specified period or on a particular occasion
have the time of their lives putting on the yearly show — Louise Gerdts
a good time
a hard time
b. : a highly enjoyable or disagreeable experience
had himself a time drinking beer from a glass in one hand, milk from a glass in the other — Time
had a time with them; couldn't figure any way to get them out — W.L.Gresham
c. slang : carousal , spree
still thought he might be out on a time — Ernest Hemingway
13.
a. : the hours or days given to or due to be given to one's work
make up time
b. : a rate of pay fixed in terms of a unit of time (as an hour)
paid him straight time for his overtime work
c. : amount of pay due especially according to an hourly rate ; specifically : a final payment of wages due
any cowboy who hit a horse over the head or spurred one in the shoulders was asking for his time — Ross Santee
asked for his time , but it was just a misunderstanding and was straightened out — E.C.Abbott & Helena Smith
14. : the shutter setting on a camera for making a time exposure
15.
a. : official suspension of play during a game or contest
the umpire called time
b. : a temporary official stopping of the clock during a game or portion of a game (as basketball or football) scheduled to end after a specific number of minutes of play
Synonyms: see opportunity
•
- at the same time
- at times
- for the time being
- from time to time
- in good time
- in no time
- in time
- on one's own time
- on time
- out of time
- time and time again
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English timen, from time (I)
transitive verb
1.
a. : to arrange or set the time of : fix a time for : schedule
timed his occasional calls to coincide with the hour of tea — Gertrude Atherton
consciously timed that pause for dramatic effect — J.P.Marquand
b. : to regulate the speed or stops of (as a train) according to a timetable
the train was timed to leave the station at 1:05 p.m.
c. : to adjust (as a watch) to keep correct time
2.
a. : to set the tempo for
the conductor timed the performance admirably
b. : to give a fixed or appropriate rhythm to
gave a dragging tempo to the first movement, but timed the second movement effectively
c. : to regulate the moment, speed, or duration of for desired or maximum effect
timed the exposure for two seconds
timed his swing to hit the ball into right field
3. : to make coincident in time : cause to keep time with something
timed his steps to the music
4.
a. : to ascertain or record the time, duration, or rate of
timed the horse in his last workout before the race
b. : to calculate or estimate the speed of
timed the ball badly and missed it by a foot
5. : to dispose (as a mechanical part) so that an action occurs at a desired instant or in a desired way
another factor which reduces distortion to a negligible value is the fact that the plate circuit is timed — L.E.Barton
intransitive verb
: to keep or beat time : move in time
beat, happy stars, timing with things below — Alfred Tennyson
III. adjective
Etymology: time (I)
1.
a. : of or relating to time
poetry, dance and music are time arts — J.M.Barzun
a time salesman
b. : giving, recording, or marking time
time register
2. : timed to ignite or explode at a specific moment
time charge
3.
a. : payable on a specified future day or a given length of time after presentation for acceptance
b.
(1) : made with the understanding that extended terms will be given for settlement
a time sale
(2) : to be paid for in installments
a time purchase
: divided into installments
a time payment