timer

noun

tim·​er ˈtī-mər 

: one that times: such as

a

: timepiece

especially : a stopwatch for timing races

b

: timekeeper

c

: a device (such as a clock) that indicates by a sound the end of an interval of time or that starts or stops a device at predetermined times

Synonyms

• chronometer
• clock
• timekeeper
• timepiece

Examples of timer in a Sentence

He was the official timer for the race.

She set the timer on the oven for one hour.

The timer is set to go off in 15 minutes.

Recent Examples on the Web

More than half of the nominees (eight, to be exact) are first timers on the ballot: Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Maná, Outkast and Phish. —Joe Lynch, Billboard, 12 Feb. 2025

So set a timer or use an app such as Pomodoro or Focus To-Do, which reminds you to pause after 55 minutes of work, Qualtieri told Health. —Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 12 Feb. 2025

Options include a summary of your daily activity, an overview of your sleep, an alarm, a timer, world clocks, cycle tracking, a calendar, and even a blood oxygen tile that allows for on-demand measurements. —PCMAG, 11 Feb. 2025

The intrigue: While lots of wrestlers declare for the Royal Rumble, most of the competitors and their order of entry are kept a mystery, making every countdown of the timer more exciting. —Justin L. MacK, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing timer

• all-timer
• egg timer
• full-timer
• old-timer
• one-timer

Kids Definition

timer

noun

tim·​er ˈtī-mər 

1

a

: timepiece

b

: timekeeper sense 2

2

: a clocklike device that turns something on or off at a set time or gives a signal at the end of a period of time