Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Something very small; an unimportant particular; a petty detail; a trifle; specifically, a mite or half-farthing.
  • noun The sixtieth part of any unit. Especially
  • noun In geometry, the sixtieth part of a degree of a circle. Division of units by sixtieths is the characteristic of the Babylonian system. Ptolemy, following the Babylonian astronomers, divides the diameter of the circle into 120 tmemata or degrees, and these into sixty parts and these again into sixty parts. These subdivisions were translated into Latin as partes minutœ primœ and partes minutœ secundœ, whence our minutes (primes) and seconds. In modern astronomical works minutes of time are denoted by the initial letter m, and minutes of a degree or of angular space by an acute accent ('). See degree, 8.
  • noun In architecture, the sixtieth part of the diameter of a column at the base, being a subdivision used for measuring the minuter parts of an order. See module.
  • noun A written summary of an agreement or of a transaction, interview, or proceedings: a note to preserve the memory of anything: usually in the plural.
  • noun Synonyms Instant, etc. See moment.
  • Repeated every minute: as, a minute gun.
  • Made in a minute or a very short time: as, a minute pudding; minute beer. —Minute bell, a bell tolled at intervals of a minute as a sign of mourning.
  • To set down in a short sketch or note; make a minute or memorandum of; enter in the minutes or record of transactions of a corporation, etc.
  • Very small, diminutive, or limited; extremely little in dimensions, extent, or amount.
  • Very small in scope or degree; relating to or consisting of small points or matters; particular; closely precise or exact: as, minute details of directions; minute criticism.
  • Attending to very small particulars; marking or noting little things or precise details; very close or careful: as, minute observation.
  • Circumstantial, Particular, Minute. exact, detailed. A Circumstantial account gives the facts in detail; while circumstantial may include only the leading circumstances, a particular account gleans more closely, gathering all that are of any importance or interest; a minute account details even the slightest facts, perhaps those that are trivial and tedious.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds. (Abbrev. m. or min.; )
  • noun The sixtieth part of a degree; sixty seconds (Marked thus ('); ).
  • noun A nautical or a geographic mile.
  • noun obsolete A coin; a half farthing.
  • noun obsolete A very small part of anything, or anything very small; a jot; a tittle.
  • noun A point of time; a moment.
  • noun The memorandum; a record; a note to preserve the memory of anything
  • noun (Arch.) A fixed part of a module. See Module.
  • adjective Very small; little; tiny; fine; slight; slender; inconsiderable.
  • adjective Attentive to small things; paying attention to details; critical; particular; precise
  • adjective Of or pertaining to a minute or minutes; occurring at or marking successive minutes.
  • adjective a bell tolled at intervals of a minute, as to give notice of a death or a funeral.
  • adjective a book in which written minutes are entered.
  • adjective a glass measuring a minute or minutes by the running of sand.
  • adjective a discharge of a cannon repeated every minute as a sign of distress or mourning.
  • adjective the long hand of a watch or clock, which makes the circuit of the dial in an hour, and marks the minutes.
  • transitive verb To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A unit of time equal to sixty seconds (one-sixtieth of an hour).
  • noun A short but unspecified time period.
  • noun A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a degree.
  • noun in the plural A (usually formal) written record of a meeting.
  • noun A minute of use of a telephone or other network, especially a cell phone network.
  • verb transitive Of an event, to write in a memo or the minutes of a meeting.
  • adjective Very small.
  • adjective Very careful and exact, giving small details.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
  • noun a unit of angular distance equal to a 60th of a degree
  • noun a short note
  • noun an indefinitely short time
  • noun a particular point in time
  • adjective infinitely or immeasurably small
  • noun distance measured by the time taken to cover it
  • adjective characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French minute, from Medieval Latin minūta ("60th of an hour", "note")

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin minūtus ("small", "petty"), perfect passive participle of minuō ("make smaller").

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Examples

Comments

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  • Unit of time; small quantity.

    November 22, 2007

  • You only need one to watch Kill Bill 1 & 2.

    March 23, 2009

  • :-)

    March 23, 2009