A short period or span of time; a moment, an instant. Frequently in in a hand-while. Cf. hanlawhile, n.

A blink or twinkling of the eye; a moment, an instant.

A short space of time, a moment; = start, n.2 1a.

The time taken in winking the eye; a very brief period; a moment, an instant. Chiefly in phrases: see 3b–3d.

A short space or point of time, a moment.

An instant of time (also prick of time); a moment; = point, n.1 6b. Obsolete.

An indefinite (usually short) period of time. See also phrases in phrases 1–phrases 6. A very short period or extent of time, esp. one too brief for…

A small part, division, or portion of a whole. A very small portion or division of time; a moment or instant. Cf. earlier prick, n. 5b. Obsolete (p…

The space of a minute (also †minute while); a short space of time, an instant, a moment. Frequently used emphatically in negative constructions, as n…

An infinitely short space of time; a point of time; a moment.

transferred. A moment, short space of time. In the phrases in a braid, at a braid: on a sudden, unawares (with meaning varying between senses 1…

Period or point of time; moment. Chiefly in in that siquare.

A winking of the eye; transferred the time taken by this; a twinkling; now always in phrase in a twink; formerly at, in, with (aor the) twink of a…

The brief time taken by a sudden movement; a moment, instant. Obsolete exc. Scottish.

A moment. Obsolete. rare.

A moment considered in terms of its position in time; = point, n.1 1b.

a very short time; the time it takes to urinate.

One single attempt or act; the time taken for this; an instant or moment; a very brief period. Obsolete.

Phr. turning of a hand = moment, instant (see hand, n. phrases 3c). So turning of a straw. Obs.

transferred. A moment of time, as being that occupied by a glance of the eyes; phr. in a wink (†withor at a wink), in a trice. (Cf. eyewink, n. 3.)

The time it takes to wink; = twinkling, n.1 3; now only in phrase in a twinkle, in the twinkle of an eye.

allusively. A very short space of time. the brief and the semiquaver, jocular amplification of ‘the brief’ (see brief, n.2 b.). Obsolete.

An instant; a point in time; = punctilio, n. 5. Obsolete.

A moment, an instant. Only in punctilio of time. Obsolete.

A very small division of time, an instant. Cf. point, n.1 6b. Obsolete.

The time in which a breath may be drawn; a very short time. Somewhat rare.

An instant, a moment. Obsolete.

A trifling space (of time).

Scottish. A moment, an instant. Cf. clap, n.1 7. Obsolete.

The time occupied by a crack or shot; a moment, instant. in a crack: in a moment, immediately (cf. in a twinkle at twinkle, n. 2). colloquial.

Phr. turning of a hand = moment, instant (see hand, n. phrases 3c). So turning of a straw. Obs.

A very short space of time, an instant.

A very short space of time: only in such phrases as in a jiffy, in a trice.

less than no time: (originally humorous) an exceedingly short time.

= jiffy, n.

transferred. The time taken by a glance; an instant, the twinkling of an eye; = German Augenblick. (Chiefly Scottish)

= gliff, n. 2.

Scottish. The brief space of time which it takes to clap the hands; an instant, a moment. Chiefly in in a handclap.

A moment. rare.

The brief space of time which it takes to blink or wink: an instant, a moment. Chiefly in in an eyewink. Cf. wink, n.1 3a, eye-blink n. at eye, n.1…

U.S., Scottish, and Irish English (northern). A very short length of time, a moment. Usually in adverbial phrase.

a blink of the eye; (hence) a very short period of time, an instant; frequently in in an eye-blink.

The ‘space’ of a semibreve.

English regional (Lancashire). The length of time taken by a pop; a moment, an instant. rare.

Phrases. two shakes of a lamb's tail (and variants): see shake, n.1 2h.

(a) (now rare), a very short space of time, an instant (cf. pig's whisper, n. 1); (b) a thing of little value or significance.

a specific point in time, esp. as distinguished from others in a measured sequence; a precise moment.

a very short period of time; a moment, an instant.

transferred (from sense 2a). The time between two ticks of the clock; a moment, second, instant. colloquial. onor to the tick, exactly at the…

A moment; a very short time. Frequently in phrases, as half a mo, wait a mo, etc.

Used vaguely for an extremely short time, an ‘instant’.

A glimpse or glance; the least bit or quantity (of anything); a glimmer (of light); a moment (of time).

A fraction of a second.

U.S. regional. A very short time. rare.

= second, n.1 2.