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minute

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A minute is 60 seconds or a short amount of time.

(noun)

An example of minute is how long it takes to drive a mile when going 60 miles per hour.
An example of minute is a brief period of time spent on hold.

Minute is defined as to record the actions in a meeting or to time the exact number of minutes used to do something.

(verb)

An example of minute is to record who attended, what happened and what was voted on at a meeting.
An example of minute is to time an Olympic swimming race.

The definition of minute is very small or of little importance.

(adjective)

An example of minute is a tiny stain on a pair of jeans.
An example of minute is an insignificant point made during an argument.

See minute in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the sixtieth part of any of certain units; specif.,
1. of an hour; sixty seconds
2. of a degree of an arc; sixty seconds: symbol, ′
a very short period of time; moment; instant
a specific point in time
a measure of the distance usually covered in a minute: five minutes from downtown
1. a note or memorandum
2. an official record of what was said and done at a meeting, convention, etc.

Origin: OFr < ML minuta < L (pars) minuta (prima), (first) small (part), term used by Ptolemy for the sixtieth part of a unit in his system of fractions (of the circle, radius, day, later applied also to the hour): see minute

transitive verb minuted, minuting

to time to the minute
1. to make a minute, or memorandum, of; record
2. to put in the minutes of a meeting, etc.

adjective

very small; tiny
of little importance or significance; petty; trifling
of, characterized by, or attentive to tiny details; exact; precise

Origin: ME < L minutus, little, small, pp. of minuere, to lessen, diminish < minor: see minor

Related Forms:

minuteness noun

See minute in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun 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.

transitive verb min·ut·ed, min·ut·ing, min·utes

To record in a memorandum or the minutes of a meeting.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Medieval Latin (pars) minūta (prīma), (first) minute (part)

Origin: , from Latin minūta

Origin: , feminine of minūtus, small; see minute²

adjective

Exceptionally small; tiny. See Synonyms at small.
Beneath notice; insignificant.
Characterized by careful scrutiny and close examination: held a minute inspection of the grounds.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Latin minūtus

Origin: , past participle of minuere, to lessen; see mei-² in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: