n. (Abbr. min.)
- A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of an hour, or 60 seconds.
- A unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of a degree, or 60 seconds. Also called minute of arc.
- A measure of the distance one can cover in a minute: lives ten minutes from school.
- A short interval of time; moment. See synonyms at moment.
- A specific point in time: Stop that this minute!
- A note or summary covering points to be remembered; a memorandum.
- minutes An official record of the proceedings of a meeting.
To record in a memorandum or the minutes of a meeting.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin (pars) minūta (prīma), (first) minute (part), from Latin minūta, feminine of minūtus, small. See minute2.]
mi·nute2 (mī-nūt', -nyūt', mĭ-)
adj.
- Exceptionally small; tiny. See synonyms at small.
- Beneath notice; insignificant.
- Characterized by careful scrutiny and close examination: held a minute inspection of the grounds.
[Middle English, from Latin minūtus, past participle of minuere, to lessen.]
minuteness mi·nute'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
