microsecond

noun

mi·​cro·​sec·​ond ˈmī-krō-ˌse-kənd How to pronounce microsecond (audio)
-kənt
: one millionth of a second

Examples of microsecond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If anything, that fade better happen and that silence better be a microsecond before the next joint. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 28 June 2023 In terms of latency, the T700 showed a 13.9 percent improvement over the Samsung drive (31 versus 36 microseconds), according to PCMark 10 Storage results Tom's recorded. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2023 As Ars Science Editor John Timmer reported previously, FRBs involve a sudden blast of radio-frequency radiation that lasts just a few microseconds. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 Oct. 2023 The system can sync clocks down to microseconds, or a millionth of a second, Julian Onions, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nottingham, said in a 2022 YouTube video explaining NTP. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 By dramatically boosting the image, SRS can clearly identify and capture images of nanoparticles in microseconds rather than the hours needed by the older technique — and do so without harming the tissues being imaged. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024 In a single microsecond, light can travel 300 meters (0.2 mile), so the 39-microsecond error from a mere day in orbit would mean confusing the position of an earthbound target by more than ten kilometers. C. Renée James, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2014 Maintaining stability or lifespan of a qubit in a superposition state is challenging and may be limited to a few milliseconds or microseconds. Jim McGregor, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Sorting through it, his team discovered the shortest fast radio bursts ever detected, lasting only millionths of a second, or microseconds. WIRED, 25 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microsecond.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of microsecond was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near microsecond

Cite this Entry

“Microsecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microsecond. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

microsecond

noun
mi·​cro·​sec·​ond ˌmī-krō-ˈsek-ənd How to pronounce microsecond (audio)
-ənt
: one millionth of a second

Medical Definition

microsecond

noun
mi·​cro·​sec·​ond ˈmī-krō-ˌsek-ənd, -ənt How to pronounce microsecond (audio)
: one millionth of a second

More from Merriam-Webster on microsecond

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!