Time

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. One of the four or five grand divisions of geologic history, namely, Archæean, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic time: by some a fifth division, Psychozoic time, is added. In more recent usage ‘era’ has been substituted for ‘time.’
2. n. Seemarch.
3. n. To gain time by extra speed, as a train or boat
4. n. With qualifiers, to maintain a certain speed: as, we made good time; the motor-car made poor time up the hill.
5. To adjust the elements of (a motor or other machine) so that the succession of events in a cycle, or a revolution, or a process shall take place at the desired intervals, or in the desired sequence. It involves an adjustment of the mechanism so that the actuating cams or other elements shall have a necessary angular relation to each other in a revolution or in a series of revolutions.
6. n. The system of those relations which any event has to any other as past, present, or future. This relationship is realistically conceived us a sort of self-subsistent entity, or object of contemplation. It may be conceived as a stream flowing through the field of the present and is often so described: as, the stream of time; the course of time, etc. This notion, however, is a confused one. According to Leibnitz, time is the confused apprehension of a system of relations; but, looking at the matter too much from the mathematical point of view, he failed to notice that time is not a general idea, but is contracted to the individual system of relations of the events that actually do happen. According to Kant, time (like space) is the form of an intuition; this apprehension of it corrected Leibnitz's oversight, but at the same time lost the truth contained in Leibnitz's view. Time is personified as an old man, bald-headed but having a forelock, and carrying a scythe and an hour-glass.
7. n. A part of time considered as distinct from other parts; a period; a space of time: as a short time; a long time; too little time was allowed; hence, season; particular period: as, summer-time; springtime.
8. n. A part of time considered as distinct from other parts, whether past, present, or future, and particularly as characterized by the occurrence of some event or series of events; especially, the period in which some notable person, or the person under consideration, lived or was active; age; epoch; as, the time of the flood, of Abraham, or of Moses: often in the plural; as, the times of the Pharaohs.
9. n. Appointed, allotted, or customary period of years, months, days, hours, etc. Specifically— Allotted span; the present life as distinct from the life to come, or from eternity; existence in this world; the duration of a being.
10. n. The space of time needed or occupied in the completion of some course; the interval that elapses between the beginning and the end of something: as, the time between New York and Queenstown is now about six days; the race finished at noon: time, three hours and seven minutes.
11. n. The period of gestation; also, the natural termination of that period.
12. n. The period of an apprenticeship, or of some similarly definite engagement: as, the boy served his time with A. B.; to be out of one's time (that is, to cease being an apprentice, be a journeyman).
13. n. A term of imprisonment: as to do time in the penitentiary.
14. n. Available or disposable part or period of duration; leisure; sufficiency or convenience of time; hence, opportunity: as, to give one time to finish his remark; to have no time for such things; to ask for time.
15. n. A suitable or appropriate point or part of time; fitting season: as, a time for everything; a time to weep and a time to laugh.
16. n. Particular or definite point of time; precise hour or moment: as, the time of day; what is the time? choose your own time.
17. n. An appointed, fixed, or inevitable point or moment of time; especially, the hour of one's departure or death.
18. n. A mode of occupying time; also, what occurs in a particular time.
19. n. The state of things at a particular point of time; prevailing state of circumstances: generally in the plural: as, hard times.
20. n. All time to come; the future.
21. n. Reckoning, or method of reckoning, the lapse or course of time: with a qualifying word: as, standard time; mean time; solar or sidereal time.
22. n. Recurrent instance or occasion: as, many a time has he stood there; hence, a repeated item or sum; a single addition or involution in reckoning; repetition: as, four times four (four repetitions of four).
23. n. Tune; measure.
24. n. In music: Same as rhythm: as, duple time; triple time; common time.
25. n. Same as duration, especially in metrical relations: as, to hold a tone its full time.
26. n. Same as tempo: as, to sing a song in quick time.
27. n. The general movement of a form of composition or of a particular piece, involving its rhythm, its general metrical structure, and its characteristic tempo.
28. n. In prosody, relative duration of utterance as measuring metrical composition; a unit of rhythmic measurement, or a group or succession of such units, applicable to or expressed in language. In modern or accentual poetry the relative time of utterance of successive syllables is not recognized metrically. Every syllable may be considered as quantitatively common or indifferent in time, the only difference taken into account being that of stress or accent (ictus), and the number of syllables alone introducing the idea of measurement. In ancient prosody a unit of time is assumed (varying in actual duration according to the tempo), called the primary or least (minimum) time (χρόνος πρω%26τος, ἐλάχιστος), also semeion or mora, or, specifically, a time. A time composed of two, three, etc., primary times (semeial is called a disemic, trisemic, etc., time. Such times collectively are compound times, as opposed to the primary time as a simple time. As expressed in language, a simple or compound time is a syllable, a simple time being regularly represented by a short syllable, a compound time by a (disemic, trisemic, etc.) long, usually disemic. A time which can be measured in terms of the unit is a rational time; one which cannot be so measured, an irrational time. A compound time in a poetic text may correspond to several simple times in the accompanying music or orchesis, and vice versa. Similarly a simple or compound time in the rhythm may be unrepresented by a syllable or syllables in the text, and is then called an empty time, or pause. Times combine into pedal semeia (thesis and arsis), feet, and cola, all of which are called pedal times. These are measured in terms of the primary time, but not periods, etc.
29. n. In phrenology, one of the perceptive faculties. Its alleged organ is situated on either side of eventuality. This gives the power of judging of time, and of intervals in general, supposed to be essential to music and versification. See phrenology.
30. n. One of the three dramatic unities formerly considered essential in the classical drama. The unity of time consisted in keeping the period embraced in the action of the piece within the limit of twenty-four hours. See unity.
31. n. In fencing, a division of a movement. ; . Thus, the lunge may be analyzed into three times— straightening the sword arm
32. n. A pleasant or enjoyable period or experience: also a fine time: often used ironically.
33. n. In music. See common.
34. n. Well and good; just so; very well.
35. n. In the course of things; by degrees; eventually.
36. n. The latest aspect of affairs.
37. n. For an indefinitely long period.
38. n. In music, to beat, mark, or observe the rhythmic accents.
39. n. To move in unison, as persons walking.
40. n. To go too slow: as, a watch or clock loses time.
41. n. Synonyms Term, while, interval.
42. To adapt to the time or occasion; bring, begin, or perform at the proper season or time.
43. To regulate as to time.
44. To ascertain the time, duration, or rate of: as, to time the speed of a horse; to time a race.
45. To measure, as in music or harmony.
46. To waste time; defer; procrastinate.
47. To keep time; harmonize.
48. In fencing, to make a thrust upon an opening occurring by an inaccurate or wide motion of the opponent.
49. n. An obsolete spelling of thyme.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms which designate limited portions thereof.
2. n. A particular period or part of duration, whether past, present, or future; a point or portion of duration.
3. n. The period at which any definite event occurred, or person lived; age; period; era; ; -- often in the plural
4. n. The duration of one's life; the hours and days which a person has at his disposal.
5. n. A proper time; a season; an opportunity.
6. n. Hour of travail, delivery, or parturition.
7. n. Performance or occurrence of an action or event, considered with reference to repetition; addition of a number to itself; repetition.
8. n. The present life; existence in this world as contrasted with immortal life; definite, as contrasted with infinite, duration.
9. n. (Gram.) Tense.
10. n. (Mus.) The measured duration of sounds; measure; tempo; rate of movement; rhythmical division.
11. v. To appoint the time for; to bring, begin, or perform at the proper season or time.
12. v. To regulate as to time; to accompany, or agree with, in time of movement.
13. v. To ascertain or record the time, duration, or rate of.
14. v. To measure, as in music or harmony.
15. v. To keep or beat time; to proceed or move in time.
16. v. obsolete To pass time; to delay.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a reading of a point in time as given by a clock
2. n. a period of time considered as a resource under your control and sufficient to accomplish something
3. n. the period of time a prisoner is imprisoned
4. n. a suitable moment
5. v. assign a time for an activity or event
6. n. rhythm as given by division into parts of equal duration
7. n. the continuum of experience in which events pass from the future through the present to the past
8. n. an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities)
9. n. the fourth coordinate that is required (along with three spatial dimensions) to specify a physical event
10. v. regulate or set the time of
11. n. a person's experience on a particular occasion
12. n. an instance or single occasion for some event
13. v. set the speed, duration, or execution of
14. v. adjust so that a force is applied and an action occurs at the desired time
15. v. measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time