instant

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An almost imperceptible space of time. See Synonyms at moment.
2. n. A particular or precise time: at the instant of combustion.
3. n. The current month: your letter of the 15th instant.
4. n. A food or beverage designed for quick preparation.
5. adj. Occurring at once; immediate: instant gratification.
6. adj. Imperative; urgent: an instant need.
7. adj. Now under consideration; present.
8. adj. Commercially prepared or processed for quick and easy final preparation: an instant cake mix.
9. adj. Readily soluble in water: instant coffee; instant powdered milk.
10. adj. Appearing, done, or taking place with or as if with maximum quickness and ease: "She had the gift of instant intimacy” ( Sylvia Jukes Morris).
11. adv. At once; instantly.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Present; current; now passing: as, on the 8th of June instant; the 10th instant (that is, the 10th day “in the present month,” Latin instante mense).
2. Immediate; with no interval of time intervening; instantaneous.
3. Immediate in succession; very next.
4. Insistent; urgent; earnest; pressing.
5. n. A particular point of time regarded as present.
6. n. A point in duration; a moment; a very small period or interval of time: as, he will return in an instant.
7. n. Application; instance.
8. n. Synonyms Minute, etc. See moment.
9. Instantly; very soon.
10. To importune; urge.

Wiktionary

1. n. A very short period of time; a moment.
2. n. A single, usually precise, point in time.
3. n. An instant beverage or food, especially instant coffee.
4. n. The current month (abbreviated as: inst.)
5. adj. Impending; imminent.
6. adj. Urgent; pressing; acute.
7. adj. Occurring immediately; immediate; present.
8. adj. Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.
9. adj. Very quickly and easily prepared (food or drink), for example instant coffee.
10. adj. Of the current month (abbreviation inst.)
11. adv. poetic At once; immediately.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.
2. adj. Closely pressing or impending in respect to time; not deferred; immediate; without delay.
3. adj. Present; current.
4. adv. Poetic Instantly.
5. n. A point in time; a moment; a portion of time too short to be estimated; also, any particular moment.
6. n. A day of the present or current month. See Instant, a., 3.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
2. adj. demanding attention
3. adj. in or of the present month
4. n. a particular point in time
5. adj. occurring with no delay