Definition of minute1

minute1noun

phút1

/ˈmɪnɪt//ˈmɪnɪt/

Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from late Latin minuta, feminine (used as a noun) of minutus ‘made small’. The senses ‘period of sixty seconds’ and ‘sixtieth of a degree’ derive from medieval Latin pars minuta prima ‘first minute part’. The sense record of a meeting is from late Middle English (in the singular in the sense ‘note or memorandum’): from French minute, from the notion of a rough copy in “small writing” (Latin scriptura minuta) as distinct from the fair copy in book hand. The verb dates from the mid 16th cent.

part of hour

each of the 60 parts of an hour, that are equal to 60 seconds

Example:
  • It's four minutes to six.
  • four minutes past two
  • five minutes after/before midnight
  • I'll be back in a few minutes.
  • Boil the rice for 20 minutes.
  • The ship sank within minutes.
  • The pump delivers seven gallons per minute.
  • It's only a ten-minute bus ride into town.
  • Two minutes later the phone rang.
  • I enjoyed every minute of the party.
  • The students took fifteen minutes to complete the questionnaire.
  • Just minutes into the second half of the game Robinson scored his second goal.
  • Russo scored in the 87th minute.
Extra examples:
  • It takes only a few minutes to grill this fish.
  • He listened for a couple of minutes, then smiled.
  • There were two goals in the opening five minutes of the game.
  • After twenty minutes I started to get worried.
  • Fifteen minutes turned into thirty, and still no one called.
  • For ten agonizing minutes she couldn't find her son.
  • Gina wasted ten precious minutes on her final test question.
  • He scored in the final minutes of the game.
  • I spent ten minutes dealing with emails.
  • If you have a few spare minutes, you could clean the kitchen.
  • Ten long minutes later, he finally had the results.
  • The film starts in ten minutes.
  • The minutes ticked by and still nothing happened.
  • The noise lasted almost a full minute.
  • Tracey was already counting the minutes until the weekend.
  • We waited for ten minutes and then left.
  • With each passing minute, the tension mounts.
  • the minute hand on the clock
very short time

a very short time

Example:
  • It only takes a minute to make a salad.
  • Could you wait a minute, please?
  • Hang on a minute—I'll just get my coat.
  • I just have to finish this—I won't be a minute.
  • Could I see you for a minute?
  • I'll be with you in a minute, Jo.
  • Typical English weather—one minute it's raining and the next minute the sun is shining.
  • My brain was still working a mile a minute (= very fast).
Extra examples:
  • Can you spare a minute?
  • Do you have a minute, Miss Brown?
  • This will only take a minute.
  • One minute he was fine and the next minute he collapsed on the floor.
exact moment

an exact moment in time

Example:
  • At that very minute, Tom walked in.
  • I've got things on my mind at the minute.

Related words and phrases

angles

each of the 60 equal parts of a degree, used in measuring angles

Example:
  • 37 degrees 30 minutes (37° 30′)
record of meeting

a summary or record of what is said or decided at a formal meeting

Example:
  • We read through the minutes of the last meeting.
  • Who is going to take the minutes (= write them)?
  • I wrote up the minutes of the meeting and circulated them by email.
short note

a short note on a subject, especially one that recommends a course of action

Idioms

(at) any minute (now)
very soon
  • Hurry up! He'll be back any minute now.
    • by the minute
    very fast
  • Matters grew worse by the minute.
    • fifteen minutes of fame
    a short period of being famous
  • Everybody wants their fifteen minutes of fame.
    • just a minute/moment/second
    (informal)used to ask somebody to wait for a short time
  • ‘Is Mr Burns available?’ ‘Just a second, please—I'll check.’
    • the last minute/moment
    the latest possible time before an important event
  • They changed the plans at the last minute.
  • Don't leave your decision to the last moment.
    • the minute (that)…
    as soon as…
  • I want to see him the minute he arrives.
  • The minute she walked through the door I thought she looked different.
    • not for a/one minute
    certainly not; not at all
  • I don't think for a minute that she'll accept but you can ask her.
  • I never thought for a minute he'd refuse.
    • there’s one born every minute
    (saying)used to say that somebody is very stupid
    this minute
    immediately; now
  • Come down this minute!
  • I don't know what I'm going to do yet—I've just this minute found out.
  • Come here this minute!
    • to the minute
    exactly
  • The train arrived at 9.05 to the minute.
    • up to the minute
    fashionable and modern
  • Her styles are always up to the minute.
    • having the latest information
  • The traffic reports are up to the minute.
    • wait a minute/moment/second
    to wait for a short time
  • Can you wait a second while I make a call?
  • Hey! Wait a minute! I'll come with you!
    • used when you have just noticed or remembered something, or had a sudden idea
  • Wait a minute—this isn't the right key.