minute1

[min-it] /ˈmɪn ɪt/
noun
1.
the sixtieth part (1/60) of an hour; sixty seconds.
2.
an indefinitely short space of time:
Wait a minute!
3.
an exact point in time; instant; moment:
Come here this minute!
4.
minutes, the official record of the proceedings at a meeting of a society, committee, or other group.
5.
Chiefly British. a written summary, note, or memorandum.
6.
a rough draft, as of a document.
7.
Geometry. the sixtieth part of a degree of angular measure, often represented by the sign ′, as in 12° 10′, which is read as 12 degrees and 10 minutes.
Compare angle1 (def 1c).
verb (used with object), minuted, minuting.
8.
to time exactly, as movements or speed.
9.
to make a draft of (a document or the like).
10.
to record in a memorandum; note down.
11.
to enter in the minutes of a meeting.
adjective
12.
prepared in a very short time:
minute pudding.
Idioms
13.
up to the minute, modern; up-to-date:
The building design is up to the minute.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin minūta, noun use of feminine of minūtus minute2
Related forms
unminuted, adjective
Synonyms
2. jiffy, second. Minute, instant, moment refer to small amounts of time. A minute, properly denoting 60 seconds, is often used loosely for any very short space of time (and may be interchangeable with second ): I'll be there in just a minute. An instant is practically a point in time, with no duration, though it is also used to mean a perceptible amount of time: not an instant's delay. Moment denotes much the same as instant, though with a somewhat greater sense of duration (but somewhat less than minute ): It will only take a moment.

minute2

[mahy-noot, -nyoot, mi-] /maɪˈnut, -ˈnyut, mɪ-/
adjective, minuter, minutest.
1.
extremely small, as in size, amount, extent, or degree:
minute differences.
2.
of minor importance; insignificant; trifling.
3.
attentive to or concerned with even the smallest details:
a minute examination.
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English < Latin minūtus (past participle of minuere to make smaller or fewer), equivalent to minū- verb stem + -tus past participle suffix. See minus, minor
Related forms
minuteness, noun
Synonyms
1. tiny, infinitesimal, minuscule. See little. 3. detailed, exact, precise.
Antonyms
1. large. 3. rough, general.
Examples from the web for minute
  • The strut is repeated endlessly, eight or ten times a minute during the busiest display period after dawn.
  • It is not even the minute, precise, loving observation of her aspects that gives him his pre-eminence.
  • As the water becomes slightly more squashed over a two-minute period, the pressure in the upper compartment skyrockets.
  • We were only in the game for 5 or 6 minutes tops.
  • In spare, luminous landscapes, the minute world reveals a special beauty to those still and attentive enough to behold it.
  • Even a six-minute snooze boosts memory.
  • He paused a minute, then went on.
  • The 30-minute support structure, in other words, is firmly in place.
  • Most trips have steep penalty charges for canceling at the last minute.
  • Cook and baste approximately 3 more minutes or to desired doneness.
British Dictionary definitions for minute

minute1

/ˈmɪnɪt/
noun
1.
a period of time equal to 60 seconds; one sixtieth of an hour
2.
Also called minute of arc. a unit of angular measure equal to one sixtieth of a degree ′
3.
any very short period of time; moment
4.
a short note or memorandum
5.
the distance that can be travelled in a minute: it's only two minutes away
6.
(up-to-the-minute when prenominal) up to the minute, very latest or newest
verb (transitive)
7.
to record in minutes: to minute a meeting
8.
to time in terms of minutes
See also minutes
Word Origin
C14: from Old French from Medieval Latin minūta, n. use of Latin minūtusminute²

minute2

/maɪˈnjuːt/
adjective
1.
very small; diminutive; tiny
2.
unimportant; petty
3.
precise or detailed: a minute examination
Derived Forms
minuteness, noun
Word Origin
C15: from Latin minūtus, past participle of minuere to diminish
Word Origin and History for minute
n.

"sixtieth part of an hour or degree," late 14c., from Old French minut (13c.) or directly from Medieval Latin minuta "minute, short note," from Latin minuta, noun use of fem. of minutus "small, minute" (see minute (adj.)). In Medieval Latin, pars minuta prima "first small part" was used by mathematician Ptolemy for one-sixtieth of a circle, later of an hour (next in order was secunda minuta, which became second (n.)). German Minute, Dutch minuut also are from French. Used vaguely for "short time" from late 14c. As a measure expressing distance (travel time) by 1886. Minute hand is attested from 1726.

adj.

early 15c., "chopped small," from Latin minutus "little, small, minute," past participle of minuere "to lessen, diminish" (see minus). Meaning "very small in size or degree" is attested from 1620s. Related: Minutely; minuteness.

minute in Science
minute
(mĭn'ĭt)

  1. A unit of time equal to 1/60 of an hour or 60 seconds. ◇ A sidereal minute is 1/60 of a sidereal hour, and a mean solar minute is 1/60 of a mean solar hour. See more at sidereal time, solar time.

  2. A unit of angular measurement, such as longitude or right ascension, that is equal to 1/60 of a degree or 60 seconds.


Idioms and Phrases with minute

minute

see:
Encyclopedia Article for minute

in timekeeping, 60 seconds, now defined in terms of radiation emitted from atoms of the element cesium under specified conditions. The minute was formerly defined as the 60th part of an hour, or the 1,440th part (60 24 [hours] = 1,440) of a mean solar day-i.e., of the average period of rotation of the Earth relative to the Sun. The minute of sidereal time (time measured by the stars rather than by the Sun) was a fraction of a second shorter than the mean solar minute. The minute of atomic time is very nearly equal to the mean solar minute in duration

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