the continuous, unstoppable flow in which all events happen, moving from the past through the present into the future
Some people say time seems to fly when you're having fun.
Dinosaurs lived a very long time ago.
✦ Old English ‘tīma’ meaning a limited space of time or season, from Proto-Germanic ‘tīmô’.
the exact moment shown by a clock or calendar
What time is it right now?
The train leaves at 7:30, so arrive before that time.
a period needed or available for something to happen
It takes a lot of time to learn a new language.
Do you have enough time to finish the project?
an enjoyable or memorable experience
We had a great time at the amusement park.
Thanks for the party—I really enjoyed my time there.
to measure how long something lasts with a watch, clock, or device
The coach timed each runner with a stopwatch.
Can you time how long it takes the water to boil?
to arrange for something to happen at a particular moment
They timed the fireworks to start at midnight.
The ad campaign was timed for the holiday season.
Present participle of time: measuring how long something takes or arranging something to happen at a particular moment.
The coach is timing each runner with a digital stopwatch.
He was timing how long the computer took to download the file.
✦ Formed by adding the present-participle suffix ‑ing to the verb “time,” first attested in early 17th-century English.
the whole period during which a person or other living thing is alive
During her lifetime, she traveled to over fifty countries.
The scientist became world-famous only after his lifetime.
✦ Formed from life + time in the 14th century to mean the duration of a person’s life.
suitable or available for use at any time of day or occasion
Fruit and yogurt make an anytime snack.
Our company offers an anytime delivery service.
✦ Extension of the adverbial form to an attributive adjective, first attested in late 20th-century marketing language.
the period of time between one event and another
Dinner will be ready in an hour; in the meantime, let's play cards.
Her laptop was being repaired, so she borrowed mine in the meantime.
✦ From Middle English meane tyme, literally “middle time”, dating to the 14th century.
