TIME

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does time mean? 

• TIME (noun)
  The noun TIME has 10 senses:

1. an instance or single occasion for some event

2. a period of time considered as a resource under your control and sufficient to accomplish something

3. an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities)

4. a suitable moment

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

7. a reading of a point in time as given by a clock

8. the fourth coordinate that is required (along with three spatial dimensions) to specify a physical event

9. rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration

10. the period of time a prisoner is imprisoned

  Familiarity information: TIME used as a noun is familiar.

• TIME (verb)
  The verb TIME has 5 senses:

1. measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time

2. assign a time for an activity or event

3. set the speed, duration, or execution of

4. regulate or set the time of

5. adjust so that a force is applied and an action occurs at the desired time

  Familiarity information: TIME used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TIME (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An instance or single occasion for some event

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

clip; time

Context example:

he could do ten at a clip

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

case; example; instance (an occurrence of something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A period of time considered as a resource under your control and sufficient to accomplish something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Context example:

he waited for a long time

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Derivation:

time (measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Context example:

he was a great actor in his time

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "time"):

space age (the age beginning with the first space travel; from 1957 to the present)

ephemera (something transitory; lasting a day)

hard times (a time of difficulty)

bit; minute; mo; moment; second (an indefinitely short time)

patch; piece; spell; while (a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition)

wee (a short time)

incarnation (time passed in a particular bodily form)

dead (a time when coldness (or some other quality associated with death) is intense)

day (some point or period in time)

Derivation:

time (measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time)

time (regulate or set the time of)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A suitable moment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Context example:

it is time to go

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

instant; minute; moment; second (a particular point in time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "time"):

high time (the latest possible moment)

occasion (the time of a particular event)

Derivation:

time (adjust so that a force is applied and an action occurs at the desired time)

time (assign a time for an activity or event)

time (set the speed, duration, or execution of)

timely (done or happening at the appropriate or proper time)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The continuum of experience in which events pass from the future through the present to the past

Classified under:

Nouns with no superordinates

Context example:

time flies like an arrow

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

attribute (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "time"):

biological time (the time of various biological processes)

geologic time; geological time (the time of the physical formation and development of the earth (especially prior to human history))

eternity; infinity (time without end)

continuance; duration (the property of enduring or continuing in time)

GMT; Greenwich Mean Time; Greenwich Time; universal time; UT; UT1 (the local time at the 0 meridian passing through Greenwich, England; it is the same everywhere)

continuum (a continuous nonspatial whole or extent or succession in which no part or portion is distinct or distinguishable from adjacent parts)

musical time ((music) the beat of musical rhythm)

future; futurity; hereafter; time to come (the time yet to come)

past; past times; yesteryear (the time that has elapsed)

nowadays; present (the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech)

daylight-saving time; daylight-savings time; daylight saving; daylight savings (time during which clocks are set one hour ahead of local standard time; widely adopted during summer to provide extra daylight in the evenings)

civil time; local time; standard time (the official time in a local region (adjusted for location around the Earth); established by law or custom)

cosmic time (the time covered by the physical formation and development of the universe)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A person's experience on a particular occasion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

they had a good time together

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

experience (an event as apprehended)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A reading of a point in time as given by a clock

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

clock time; time

Context example:

the time is 10 o'clock

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

indication; meter reading; reading (a datum about some physical state that is presented to a user by a meter or similar instrument)

Attribute:

antemeridian (before noon)

postmeridian (after noon)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "time"):

SCLK; spacecraft clock time (the clock time given by a clock carried on board a spacecraft)

prime time (the hours between 7 and 11 p.m. when the largest tv audience is available)

hour; time of day (clock time)

Derivation:

time (regulate or set the time of)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The fourth coordinate that is required (along with three spatial dimensions) to specify a physical event

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

fourth dimension; time

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

dimension (the magnitude of something in a particular direction (especially length or width or height))

Sense 9

Meaning:

Rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

meter; metre; time

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

rhythmicity (the rhythmic property imparted by the accents and relative durations of notes in a piece of music)

Sense 10

Meaning:

The period of time a prisoner is imprisoned

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

prison term; sentence; time

Context example:

he is doing time in the county jail

Hypernyms ("time" is a kind of...):

term (a limited period of time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "time"):

hard time (a term served in a maximum security prison)

life; life sentence (a prison term lasting as long as the prisoner lives)

• TIME (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

clock; time

Context example:

he clocked the runners

Hypernyms (to "time" is one way to...):

measure; quantify (express as a number or measure or quantity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "time"):

mistime (time incorrectly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

time (an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities))

time (a period of time considered as a resource under your control and sufficient to accomplish something)

timer (a timepiece that measures a time interval and signals its end)

timer ((sports) an official who keeps track of the time elapsed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assign a time for an activity or event

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

The candidate carefully timed his appearance at the disaster scene

Hypernyms (to "time" is one way to...):

schedule (plan for an activity or event)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

time (a suitable moment)

timing (the time when something happens)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Set the speed, duration, or execution of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

we time the process to manufacture our cars very precisely

Hypernyms (to "time" is one way to...):

determine; influence; mold; regulate; shape (shape or influence; give direction to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

time (a suitable moment)

timer (a timepiece that measures a time interval and signals its end)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Regulate or set the time of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

time the clock

Hypernyms (to "time" is one way to...):

adjust; correct; set (alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

time (a reading of a point in time as given by a clock)

timer (a regulator that activates or deactivates a mechanism at set times)

time (an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Adjust so that a force is applied and an action occurs at the desired time

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The good player times his swing so as to hit the ball squarely

Hypernyms (to "time" is one way to...):

adjust; correct; set (alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

time (a suitable moment)

 Context examples 

And now, Doctor, we’ve done our work, so it’s time we had some play.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had not eaten for two days; for a far longer time he had not had all he wanted to eat.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I came back and went on with my work; and here the episode ended for the time, though further developments were yet to take place.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I feared to go very far from the station, as we had arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And all the time, though he did not look, he could hear her snarling just one leap behind.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“We must use what time we have,” said Holmes.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This moment in time is rare!

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

It was the first time he had ever really seen himself.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Never have I seen such a change as had been brought about in Silas Brown in that short time.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)