moment

1. A brief, indefinite interval of time.

2. A specific point in time, especially the present time: He is not here at the moment.

3. A particular period of importance, influence, or significance in a series of events or developments: a great moment in history; waiting for her big moment.

4. Outstanding significance or value; importance: a discovery of great moment.

5. A brief period of time that is characterized by a quality, such as excellence, suitability, or distinction: a lackluster performance that nevertheless had its moments.

6. Philosophy

   1. An essential or constituent element, as of a complex idea.

   2. A phase or an aspect of a logically developing process.

   3. The product of a quantity and its perpendicular distance from a reference point.

   4. The tendency to cause rotation about a point or an axis.

7. Abbr. M Physics

   1. The product of a quantity and its perpendicular distance from a reference point.

   2. The tendency to cause rotation about a point or an axis.

8. Statistics The expected value of a positive integral power of a random variable. The first moment is the mean of the distribution.

Synonyms: These nouns denote a brief interval of time. A moment is an indeterminately short but significant period: I'll be with you in a moment.
Instant is a period of time almost too brief to detect; it implies haste: He hesitated for just an instant.
Minute is often interchangable with moment and second with instant: The alarm will ring any minute. I'll be back in a second.
Jiffy and flash usually combine with in a; in a jiffy means in a short space of time, while in a flash suggests the almost imperceptible duration of a flash of light: "He was on his stool in a jiffy, driving away with his pen" (Charles Dickens). She finished the job in a flash. See Also Synonyms at importance.