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Atlantic Time

Atlantic Time

3.0
Time used in parts of eastern Canada and some Atlantic islands that is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : Hora Atlántica
  • The clocks in Nova Scotia are set to Atlantic Time, which is one hour ahead of Eastern Time.

Examples

  • The meeting is scheduled for 2 PM Atlantic Time.

  • When it is noon in Atlantic Time, it is 11:00 a.m. in the Eastern Time zone.

  • Flights between Boston and Bermuda must account for the difference in Atlantic Time.

  • Are you aware that Atlantic Time is four hours behind GMT?

  • The conference will start at 2 PM Atlantic Time, which is four hours behind GMT.

  • He always schedules his calls to Canada according to Atlantic Time to avoid confusion.

  • When planning a meeting with colleagues in Bermuda, make sure to note the Atlantic Time difference.

Synonyms

Atlantic Standard Time
vsAtlantic Time
  • US
3.9

Time that is four hours behind UTC used in Puerto Rico and Bermuda

refers to the same four-hour offset but uses Greenwich Mean Time terms

Surface Forms

Atlantic Time singular

Morphology

Atlantic + time

The meaning 'the standard time zone for the Atlantic region' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'Atlantic' (the region) with 'time' (clock time). The '[region] Time' naming pattern is cross-linguistically common for time zones, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Atlantic Time comes from the Atlantic Ocean and the idea that places by the ocean keep the same time. So Atlantic Time means 'the standard time used in parts of eastern Canada, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands'.