Measures and Standards of Time

Random House Word Menu:

List of words related to Measures and Standards of Time

Top

Home > Library > Literature & Language > Word Menu

Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier

Word Menu is the ultimate language reference for inexperienced and proficient writers alike — students, learners of English, creative writers, journalists, business executives and office professionals.

Browse Word Menu categories:
Word Menu > Science and Technology > The Sciences > Measures and Weights > Measures and Standards of Time

ab urbe condita - Latin. lit. from the founding of the city; used in dating system based on founding of Rome in 753 B.C.; A.U.C
A.D. - anno Domini; Latin. lit. in the year of the Lord; used to designate years of Christian era
age - measure of one’s time alive
alarm clock - small clock that sounds alarm at set time to awaken sleeper
a.m. - ante meridiem; Latin. lit. before noon; morning
analemma - scale shaped like figure 8 showing declination of sun and equation of time for each day
analog clock - timepiece with hands revolving on face to indicate time
ante meridiem - Latin. lit. before noon; a.m.
atomic clock - extremely accurate timepiece whose operation is based on vibrations of certain atoms
A.U.C - ab urbe condita
Aurora - goddess of dawn (ancient Rome)
B.C. - before Christ; used to designate years before Christian era
B.C.E - before Christian (or Common) era; equivalent of B.C.
beat - musical measure of time
bell - device sounded on ship every half hour during each four-hour watch or segment of day
calendar - system or device for marking time by days, weeks, months, and years
C.E. - Christian (or Common) era; equivalent of A.D.
Central time - time zone in U.S. Middle West, one hour earlier than Eastern time
century - measure of time equal to 100 years
chrono- - Greek prefix meaning time
chronograph - instrument that measures and records time
chronology - science of computing and measuring time and sequentially ordering events
chronometer - instrument for measuring time; timepiece
chronoscope - instrument for measuring time
clock - mechanical timepiece marking passage of minutes, hours, and sometimes seconds
date - designation by number of each day of each month
day - basic unit of time equal to 24 hours
daylight-saving time - time attained by moving timepieces one hour ahead of standard time from spring to fall
decade - measure of time equal to 10 years
dial - face of clock, watch or sundial showing time of day
digital clock - timepiece indicating time by regularly changing display of numerical digits
Eastern time - time zone in U.S. Atlantic coast region, three hours later than Pacific time
embolism - insertion of time period to regulate calendar, esp. day added for leap year
gnomon - raised part of sundial that casts shadow to indicate time
Greenwich mean time - worldwide standard time relative to time at meridian running through Greenwich, England
Gregorian calendar - corrected Julian calendar incorporating leap year every fourth year
horography - art of making timepieces
horologe - timepiece, esp. sundial
horologist - maker of clocks and timepieces
horology - art or science of measuring time and making timepieces
horometry - practice or science of measuring time
hour - unit of time equal to 60 minutes
hourglass - necked glass vessel containing sand or mercury, used to measure time, esp. period of one hour
intercalary - (adj) inserted into calendar, as with leap year’s added day
International Date Line - imaginary line at 180 degrees longitude, exactly opposite Greenwich meridian, at which one day is added when passing westward across it
Julian calendar - standard twelve-month, 365-day calendar introduced in ancient Rome
minute - basic unit of time equal to 60 seconds, or 160 of an hour
month - unit of time equal to 112 of a year, usu. 30 or 31 days, except February, which has 28 or 29 days
Mountain time - time zone in U.S. Rocky Mountain area, one hour later than Pacific time
o’clock - (adv) of the clock, used in telling time, as in one o’clock
Pacific time - time zone along U.S. western seaboard, three hours earlier than Eastern time
pendulum - suspended, swinging mechanism used in clockworks or as timepiece
p.m. - post meridiem; Latin. lit. after noon; afternoon and evening
post meridiem - Latin. lit. after noon; p.m.
quartz clock - timepiece whose mechanical operation is based on electrical frequencies and resulting regular vibrations of quartz crystal
real time - actual elapsed time, esp. when editing film
second - unit of time equal to 160 of a minute
sidereal time - time measured by rotation of Earth relative to a star on celestial sphere other than the sun
solar time - time determined by calculating time required for sun to cross same point in sky a second time
space-time - four-dimensional continuum incorporating time with three physical dimensions as means of locating events
standard time - worldwide time system based on Greenwich meridian; time attained when daylight-saving time is reversed and clocks are turned back one hour in fall; time officially adopted by a country or region
stopwatch - watch with hand that can be stopped or started at any instant for precise timing
strike - (vb) make known the time by sounding, esp. a bell
sundial - instrument indicating time of day by casting shadow of sunlight on dial
tempo - rate of movement, speed; time in which musical passage is written and/or played
time - dimension of reality characterized by sequential flow of events and phenomena through irreversible procession of moments from past to present to future; systematized demarcation of the passage of such moments into units of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years; period or point in time; fourth dimension in space-time continuum
time capsule - container holding records or objects of current culture, deposited for discovery at future date
timecard - paper on which hours worked by employee are recorded
time chart - chart showing standard times in various parts of world
time clock - clock with mechanism to record time on timecard that employee begins and ends workday
timekeeper - one appointed to record and announce time at event, esp. athletic contest
time machine - hypothetical device permitting travel forward or backward through time
timepiece - clock, watch, or other device for measuring and indicating time
timer - device used to keep time or measure brief periods
time sheet - paper for recording arrival and departure times of workers
time signature - fractional sign used in musical notation to show number of beats per measure and kind of note lasting one beat
timetable - schedule of times for some event, esp. arrivals and departures of railroads, buses, or airplanes
time zone - longitudinal region within which same standard time is used
watch - small timepiece worn on wrist or carried in pocket
week - measure of time equal to 7 days
year - measure of time required for Earth to complete one revolution around the sun, equal to either 365 or 366 days, or 12 months