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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

time       (tīm)  Pronunciation Key  n.   A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future. An interval separating two points on this continuum; a duration: a long time since the last war; passed the time reading. A number, as of years, days, or minutes, representing such an interval: ran the course in a time just under four minutes. A similar number representing a specific point on this continuum, reckoned in hours and minutes: checked her watch and recorded the time, 6:17 A.M. A system by which such intervals are measured or such numbers are reckoned: solar time. An interval, especially a span of years, marked by similar events, conditions, or phenomena; an era. Often used in the plural: hard times; a time of troubles. times The present with respect to prevailing conditions and trends: You must change with the times. Periods or a period designated for a given activity: harvest time; time for bed. Periods or a period necessary or available for a given activity: I have no time for golf. A period at one's disposal: Do you have time for a chat? One of several instances: knocked three times; addressed Congress for the last time before retirement. times Used to indicate the number of instances by which something is multiplied or divided: This tree is three times taller than that one. My library is many times smaller than hers. One's lifetime. One's period of greatest activity or engagement. A person's experience during a specific period or on a certain occasion: had a good time at the party. A period of military service. A period of apprenticeship. Informal A prison sentence. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. An interval, especially a span of years, marked by similar events, conditions, or phenomena; an era. Often used in the plural: hard times; a time of troubles. times The present with respect to prevailing conditions and trends: You must change with the times. Periods or a period designated for a given activity: harvest time; time for bed. Periods or a period necessary or available for a given activity: I have no time for golf. A period at one's disposal: Do you have time for a chat? One of several instances: knocked three times; addressed Congress for the last time before retirement. times Used to indicate the number of instances by which something is multiplied or divided: This tree is three times taller than that one. My library is many times smaller than hers. One's lifetime. One's period of greatest activity or engagement. A person's experience during a specific period or on a certain occasion: had a good time at the party. A period of military service. A period of apprenticeship. Informal A prison sentence. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. A suitable or opportune moment or season: a time for taking stock of one's life. Periods or a period designated for a given activity: harvest time; time for bed. Periods or a period necessary or available for a given activity: I have no time for golf. A period at one's disposal: Do you have time for a chat? One of several instances: knocked three times; addressed Congress for the last time before retirement. times Used to indicate the number of instances by which something is multiplied or divided: This tree is three times taller than that one. My library is many times smaller than hers. One's lifetime. One's period of greatest activity or engagement. A person's experience during a specific period or on a certain occasion: had a good time at the party. A period of military service. A period of apprenticeship. Informal A prison sentence. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. An appointed or fated moment, especially of death or giving birth: He died before his time. Her time is near. One of several instances: knocked three times; addressed Congress for the last time before retirement. times Used to indicate the number of instances by which something is multiplied or divided: This tree is three times taller than that one. My library is many times smaller than hers. One's lifetime. One's period of greatest activity or engagement. A person's experience during a specific period or on a certain occasion: had a good time at the party. A period of military service. A period of apprenticeship. Informal A prison sentence. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. One's lifetime. One's period of greatest activity or engagement. A person's experience during a specific period or on a certain occasion: had a good time at the party. A period of military service. A period of apprenticeship. Informal A prison sentence. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. A period of military service. A period of apprenticeship. Informal A prison sentence. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. The customary period of work: hired for full time. The period spent working. The hourly pay rate: earned double time on Sundays. The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. The period during which a radio or television program or commercial is broadcast: "There's television time to buy" (Brad Goldstein). The rate of speed of a measured activity: marching in double time. Music The meter of a musical pattern: three-quarter time. The rate of speed at which a piece of music is played; the tempo. Chiefly British The hour at which a pub closes. Sports A time-out. adj.   Of, relating to, or measuring time. Constructed so as to operate at a particular moment: a time release. Payable on a future date or dates. Of or relating to installment buying: time payments. tr.v.   timed, tim·ing, times To set the time for (an event or occasion). To adjust to keep accurate time. To adjust so that a force is applied or an action occurs at the desired time: timed his swing so as to hit the ball squarely. To record the speed or duration of: time a runner. To set or maintain the tempo, speed, or duration of: time a manufacturing process. [Middle English, from Old English tīma; see dā- in Indo-European roots.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
time  (n.)

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
time  (v.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

time
noun
1.	an instance or single occasion for some event; "this time he succeeded"; "he called four times"; "he could do ten at a clip"
2.	a period of time considered as a resource under your control and sufficient to accomplish something; "take time to smell the roses"; "I didn't have time to finish"; "it took more than half my time"
3.	an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities); "he waited a long time"; "the time of year for planting"; "he was a great actor in his time"
4.	a suitable moment; "it is time to go"
5.	the continuum of experience in which events pass from the future through the present to the past
6.	a person's experience on a particular occasion; "he had a time holding back the tears"; "they had a good time together"
7.	a reading of a point in time as given by a clock; "do you know what time it is?"; "the time is 10 o'clock" [syn: clock time]
8.	the fourth coordinate that is required (along with three spatial dimensions) to specify a physical event [syn: fourth dimension]
9.	rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration [syn: meter]
10.	the period of time a prisoner is imprisoned; "he served a prison term of 15 months"; "his sentence was 5 to 10 years"; "he is doing time in the county jail" [syn: prison term]
verb
1.	measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time; "he clocked the runners" [syn: clock]
2.	assign a time for an activity or event; "The candidate carefully timed his appearance at the disaster scene"
3.	set the speed, duration, or execution of; "we time the process to manufacture our cars very precisely"
4.	regulate or set the time of; "time the clock"
5.	adjust so that a force is applied and an action occurs at the desired time; "The good player times his swing so as to hit the ball squarely"

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

time

In addition to the idioms beginning with time, also see about time; against the clock (time); ahead of one's time; ahead of time; all the time; at all times; at one time; at one time or another; at the same time; at this point (in time); at times; beat time; behind in (time); behind the times; bide one's time; big time; buy time; call one's (time one's) own; chow down (time); crunch time; do time; every time one turns around; for the moment (time being); from time to time; good-time Charlie; hard time; have a good time; high time; in between times; in due course (of time); in good time; in no time; in the fullness of time; in the nick of time; in time; keep time; keep up (with the times); kill time; less than (no time); long time no see; lose time; make good time; make time; make up for lost time; many is the (time); mark time; not give someone the time of day; no time for; no time like the present; of one's life, time; on borrowed time; once upon a time; one by one (at a time); on one's own time; on time; pass the time; play for time; point in time; pressed for time; serve time; show someone a good time; small time; stitch in time; take one's time; take up space (time); tell time; whale of a time.

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

time       (tīm)  Pronunciation Key  A continuous, measurable quantity in which events occur in a sequence proceeding from the past through the present to the future. See Note at space-time. An interval separating two points of this quantity; a duration. A system or reference frame in which such intervals are measured or such quantities are calculated.

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

time (tīm)
n.

1. A duration or relation of events expressed in terms of past, present, and future, and measured in units such as minutes, hours, days, months, or years.
2. A certain period during which something is done.

Jargon File - Cite This Source - Share This

time

T /ti:m T/ n.
1. An unspecified but usually well-understood time, often used in conjunction with a later time T+1. "We'll meet on campus at time T or at Louie's at time T+1" means, in the context of going out for dinner: "We can meet on campus and go to Louie's, or we can meet at Louie's itself a bit later." (Louie's was a Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto that was a favorite with hackers.) Had the number 30 been used instead of the number 1, it would have implied that the travel time from campus to Louie's is 30 minutes; whatever time T is (and that hasn't been decided on yet), you can meet half an hour later at Louie's than you could on campus and end up eating at the same time. See also since time T equals minus infinity.

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Time, IL (village, FIPS 75419) Location: 39.56111 N, 90.72282 W
Population (1990): 36 (15 housing units)
Area: 1.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Time

Time\, n.; pl. Times. [OE. time, AS. t[=i]ma, akin to t[=i]d time, and to Icel. t[=i]mi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. [root]58. See Tide, n.]

1. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms which designate limited portions thereof.

The time wasteth [i. e. passes away] night and day. --Chaucer.

I know of no ideas . . . that have a better claim to be accounted simple and original than those of space and time. --Reid.

2. 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.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. --Heb. i. 1.

3. 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.

4. The duration of one's life; the hours and days which a person has at his disposal.

Believe me, your time is not your own; it belongs to God, to religion, to mankind. --Buckminster.

5. A proper time; a season; an opportunity.

There is . . . a time to every purpose. --Eccl. iii. 1.

The time of figs was not yet. --Mark xi. 13.

6. Hour of travail, delivery, or parturition.

She was within one month of her time. --Clarendon.

7. 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.

Summers three times eight save one. --Milton.

8. The present life; existence in this world as contrasted with immortal life; definite, as contrasted with infinite, duration.

Till time and sin together cease. --Keble.

9. (Gram.) Tense.

10. (Mus.) The measured duration of sounds; measure; tempo; rate of movement; rhythmical division; as, common or triple time; the musician keeps good time.

Some few lines set unto a solemn time. --Beau. & Fl.

Note: 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.

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.

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, run, or 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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Time

Time\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Timed; p. pr. & vb. n. Timing.]

1. To appoint the time for; to bring, begin, or perform at the proper season or time; as, he timed his appearance rightly.

There is no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things. --Bacon.

2. To regulate as to time; to accompany, or agree with, in time of movement.

Who overlooked the oars, and timed the stroke. --Addison.

He was a thing of blood, whose every motion Was timed with dying cries. --Shak.

3. To ascertain or record the time, duration, or rate of; as, to time the speed of horses, or hours for workmen.

4. To measure, as in music or harmony.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Time

Time\, v. i. 1. To keep or beat time; to proceed or move in time.

With oar strokes timing to their song. --Whittier.

2. To pass time; to delay. [Obs.]