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Glite Dictionary
🏧 A cash machine 💻 A data system ⏰ Right now
ATM

ATM

5.4
A short form used in messages to mean right now
  • adverb
  • Slang
: ahora mismo
  • I would think you'd be better off ignoring them, especially as they are obviously doing and saying things atm just because they reckon you'll read it?

I would just ATM Dropbox, you know, anything other than hand it to a person.

Examples

  • She said she's running errands ATM and will be home later.

  • ATM, I need to finish this project before I can relax.

  • She calls me ATM and I call her every morning.

  • I would just ATM Dropbox, you know, anything other than hand it to a person.

    Shawn Ryan Show

  • I am busy with work ATM and cannot talk right now.

Synonyms

RN
vsATM
  • Slang
9.9

An informal written short form meaning right now

is the informal abbreviation based on a different phrase for current time

Surface Forms

ATM positive

Morphology

ATM = the + moment (semi-transparent) = A + T + M

This initialism stands for the common phrase 'at the moment', so the meaning 'right now' is directly inferable. [Postprocessing: moved 'at' from base_words to prefix] [Postprocessing: changed transparency from 'transparent' to 'semi-transparent' for abbreviation]

Etymology

ATM as online slang is short for at the moment, which simply means 'right now', so when someone writes ATM they mean they are busy or free 'right now'.