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minute

 - 10 dictionary results

min⋅ute

1  [min-it] noun, verb, -ut⋅ed, -ut⋅ing, adjective
Use minute in a Sentence
–noun
1. the sixtieth part ( 1/60 ) of an hour; sixty seconds.
2. an indefinitely short space of time: Wait a minute!
3. an exact point in time; instant; moment: Come here this minute!
4. minutes, the official record of the proceedings at a meeting of a society, committee, or other group.
5. Chiefly British. a written summary, note, or memorandum.
6. a rough draft, as of a document.
7. Geometry. the sixtieth part of a degree of angular measure, often represented by the sign ′, as in 12° 10′, which is read as 12 degrees and 10 minutes. Compare angle 1 (def. 1c).
–verb (used with object)
8. to time exactly, as movements or speed.
9. to make a draft of (a document or the like).
10. to record in a memorandum; note down.
11. to enter in the minutes of a meeting.
–adjective
12. prepared in a very short time: minute pudding.
—Idiom
13. up to the minute, modern; up-to-date: The building design is up to the minute.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < ML minūta, n. use of fem. of minūtus minute 2

Synonyms:
2. jiffy, second. Minute, instant, moment refer to small amounts of time. A minute, properly denoting 60 seconds, is often used loosely for any very short space of time (and may be interchangeable with second): I'll be there in just a minute. An instant is practically a point in time, with no duration, though it is also used to mean a perceptible amount of time: not an instant's delay. Moment denotes much the same as instant, though with a somewhat greater sense of duration (but somewhat less than minute): It will only take a moment.

mi⋅nute

2  [mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi-]
–adjective -nut⋅er, -nut⋅est.
1. extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree: minute differences.
2. of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.
3. attentive to or concerned with even the smallest details: a minute examination.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME < L minūtus (ptp. of minuere to make smaller or fewer), equiv. to minū- verb s. + -tus ptp. suffix. See minus, minor

Related forms:
mi⋅nute⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. tiny, infinitesimal, minuscule. See little. 3. detailed, exact, precise.

Antonyms:
1. large. 3. rough, general.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To minute
min·ute 1   (mĭn'ĭt)   
n.   Abbr. min.

  1. A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of an hour, or 60 seconds.

  2. A unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of a degree, or 60 seconds. Also called minute of arc.

  3. A measure of the distance one can cover in a minute: lives ten minutes from school.

  4. A short interval of time; moment. See Synonyms at moment.

  5. A specific point in time: Stop that this minute!

  6. A note or summary covering points to be remembered; a memorandum.

  7. minutes An official record of the proceedings of a meeting.

tr.v.   min·ut·ed, min·ut·ing, min·utes
To record in a memorandum or the minutes of a meeting.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin (pars) minūta (prīma), (first) minute (part), from Latin minūta, feminine of minūtus, small; see minute2.]
mi·nute 2   (mī-nōōt', -nyōōt', mĭ-)   
adj.  

  1. Exceptionally small; tiny. See Synonyms at small.

  2. Beneath notice; insignificant.

  3. Characterized by careful scrutiny and close examination: held a minute inspection of the grounds.


[Middle English, from Latin minūtus, past participle of minuere, to lessen; see mei-2 in Indo-European roots.]
mi·nute'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

minute  (n.)
1377, "sixtieth part of an hour," from O.Fr. minut, from M.L. minuta "minute, short note," from L. minuta, fem. of minutus "small, minute" (see minute (adj.)). In M.L., pars minuta prima "first small part" was used by mathematician Ptolemy for one-sixtieth of a circle, later of an hour (next in order was secunda minuta, which became second (n.)). The pl. minutes "record of proceedings" developed c.1710, perhaps from L. minuta scriptura "rough notes," lit. "small writing."

minute  (adj.)
c.1420, "chopped small," from L. minutus "small," pp. of minuere "lessen," related to minor (q.v.). Meaning "very small in size or degree" is attested from c.1626.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: min·ute
Pronunciation: 'mi-n&t
Function: noun
1 : a brief note (as of summary or recommendation)
2 : MEMORANDUM 1
3 plural : the official record of the proceedings of a meeting or court
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: min·ute
Pronunciation: 'min-&t
Function: noun
: a 60th part of an hour of time or of a degree
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

minute

see at the last minute; every minute counts; just a minute; mile a minute; wait a minute.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

minute

in timekeeping, 60 seconds, now defined in terms of radiation emitted from atoms of the element cesium under specified conditions. The minute was formerly defined as the 60th part of an hour, or the 1,440th part (60 24 [hours] = 1,440) of a mean solar day-i.e., of the average period of rotation of the Earth relative to the Sun. The minute of sidereal time (time measured by the stars rather than by the Sun) was a fraction of a second shorter than the mean solar minute. The minute of atomic time is very nearly equal to the mean solar minute in duration

Learn more about minute with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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