minute
12 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
minutes
plural
minutes
Britannica Dictionary definition of MINUTE
1
[count]
a
:
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds
:
one 60th of an hour
-
Bake the cake for 25–30 minutes.
-
We waited for several minutes, but no one came to the door.
-
He can run a six-minute mile. [=he can run a mile in six minutes]
b
:
a brief period of time
:
moment
—
see also last minute
-
I saw him a minute ago.
-
Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.
-
One minute it was sunny, the next it was pouring rain.
-
Could I have a minute of your time? = Do you have a minute? = Could I speak to you for a minute? [=could I speak to you briefly?]
-
I'm coming, just give me a minute. [=wait for me]
-
It was an excellent show. I enjoyed every minute of it. [=I enjoyed all of it]
-
I'll explain that in a minute. [=shortly, soon]
2
[count]
:
the distance that can be traveled in a minute
-
My house is just a few minutes from here.
3
minutes
[plural]
:
an official record of what was said and done in a meeting
-
The secretary read the minutes of the last meeting.
-
The secretary took the minutes [=recorded in writing what happened] during the meeting.
4
[count]
technical
:
one of 60 equal parts into which a degree can be divided for measuring angles
-
42 degrees and 30 minutes
a laugh a minute
any minute
◊ If something could happen (at ) any minute (now ), it could happen very soon.
-
The bus should be here any minute now.
-
I'm expecting a phone call any minute.
-
Things could change at any minute. [=at any moment]
at/on a minute's notice
from minute to minute
or from one minute to the next or minute by minute
:
very quickly as time passes
-
Things kept changing from minute to minute. [=from moment to moment]
hold/hang on a minute
informal or wait/just a minute
1
— used to tell someone to wait or to stop for a brief time
-
“Aren't you finished yet?” “Hold on a minute. I'm almost done.”
-
Hang on a minute—I didn't hear you. Could you repeat what you said?
2
— used to express surprise or disbelief
-
Hey, wait a minute! That's not what you said yesterday!
just this minute
not for a/one minute
:
at no time
:
not at all
:
never
-
I did not believe her for one minute. = Not for one minute did I believe her. [=I never believed her]
the minute
:
as soon as
-
Please call me the minute you get home.
-
I knew the minute (that) I saw it that I had to have this dress.
this minute
to the minute
within minutes
:
within a very short amount of time
-
We called an ambulance and it arrived within minutes.
minuter;
minutest
minuter;
minutest
Britannica Dictionary definition of MINUTE
[or more minute; most minute]
1
:
very small
:
tiny
-
There were minute particles of dust in the air.
-
The test detected minute amounts of contamination.
-
The equipment is able to detect the minutest errors.
2
:
very complete and precise
-
She told him what happened in minute detail.
-
a minute examination of the evidence
— minutely
adverb-
a minutely detailed drawing
-
studied the evidence minutely
