timer

noun

tim·​er ˈtī-mər 

: one that times: such as

a

: timepiece

especially : a stopwatch for timing races

b

: timekeeper

c

: a device (such as a clock) that indicates by a sound the end of an interval of time or that starts or stops a device at predetermined times

Synonyms of timer

• clock

Examples of timer in a Sentence

He was the official timer for the race.

She set the timer on the oven for one hour.

The timer is set to go off in 15 minutes.

Recent Examples on the Web

No timer, no workout plan, just… jump. —Danielle Zickl, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026

Eighteen players are first-timers, including five on special teams. —Dallas Morning News, 10 Jan. 2026

How The 1-Minute Rule Changed My Cleaning For me, the timer method is two-fold. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026

Users can also select between four timer settings at one-hour intervals. —Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing timer

• all-timer
• egg timer
• full-timer
• old-timer
• one-timer

Rhymes for timer

• climber
• dimer
• eimer
• primer
• rhymer
• alzheimer
• heterodimer

Kids Definition

timer

noun

tim·​er ˈtī-mər 

1

a

: timepiece

b

: timekeeper sense 2

2

: a clocklike device that turns something on or off at a set time or gives a signal at the end of a period of time