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Glite Dictionary
⏲️ A time device ⏱️ A timekeeper
timer

timer

18 2.4
A person who keeps track of time during a game or race
  • noun
  • /ˈtaɪmər/
translation icon : cronometrista
  • Timers, if you are ready, we'll stand by for the start of the Cinzano 100.

Examples

  • Times generated by the on-screen timer of the camcorder are used to determine all obstacle course time scores.

    Academic text (1996)

  • "Captain: begin the count." "Yes, sir," Pellaeon reached to his board and touched the timer switch.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • What happens when the timer at the stadium goes to zero?

    Lazer Team (2016)

  • Close on Peter: He looks at the board and makes a move, then hits his timer.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The last two on the stools, when the timer runs out, win.

  • At lane three, Shanti handed the head timer their lane card.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Below that were three event timers, and one was already activated; it read 00:15:23.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The timer in the stadium ensures that every second of the game is accurately recorded.

  • As the timer counts down, the athletes prepare for the final sprint of the race.

  • The referee relied on the timer to officially signal the end of the match.

Synonyms

timekeeper
vstimer
1 4.4

A sports official who keeps game time and signals the end

is used as an alternative common name for the same role

Compounds

old-timer
39 5.2

A person who has done something for a long time and is respected for their experience

part-timer
8 3.0

A person who works fewer hours than full-time workers

egg timer
3 1.7

A small kitchen tool that shows how long to boil eggs

two-timer
  • Offensive
1 7.2

A person who has a romantic or sexual relationship with someone else while still with their partner

short timer
  • US
1 7.2

A person who is leaving their job or service soon

How Accurate

GPS
  • Specialized
205 2.6
racetracker
  • Specialized
6.7
timer
18 2.4
tracker
51 3.1

Surface Forms

timer singular
timers plural

Morphology

timer = time (transparent) = time + er

The meaning 'a person who times events' is directly and productively derived from the verb 'time' with the agentive suffix -er.

Etymology

The word timer comes from time plus the ending -er, meaning 'one who' or 'a person who does something'. So in sports a timer is literally 'a person who measures time', the official who keeps the clock during a game or race.