leap second
noun
: an intercalary second added to Coordinated Universal Time to compensate for the slowing of the earth's rotation and keep Coordinated Universal Time in synchrony with solar time
Examples of leap second in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the past 23 years, scientists have added only four leap seconds, according to Agnew.
—
Bill Chappell, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024
If Earth’s spin rate continues to slightly increase, eventually officials won’t need to add leap seconds anymore.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
The delay of the negative leap second comes from the acceleration of melting polar ice in Greenland and Antarctica, which is measured by satellite gravity, according to the study.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
But Levine doesn't think a negative leap second will really be needed.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2024
Although the leap second has its defenders (mostly Russia, whose GLONASS satellites are designed with the leap second in mind), the time anomaly’s most ardent opponents include the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and nearly the entire technological world.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 29 Nov. 2022
The nation's satellite positioning system, GLONASS, was built with leap seconds in mind, and reworking the system would seemingly be taxing.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
After an initial insertion of 10 leap seconds in 1972, timekeepers now add a leap second to atomic time roughly every year and a half.
—New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022
Whether a regular leap second or a negative leap second is called for, in fact, these tiny changes can be a massive headache for industries ranging from telecommunications to navigation systems.
—Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2021
Bill Chappell, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024
If Earth’s spin rate continues to slightly increase, eventually officials won’t need to add leap seconds anymore.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
The delay of the negative leap second comes from the acceleration of melting polar ice in Greenland and Antarctica, which is measured by satellite gravity, according to the study.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
But Levine doesn't think a negative leap second will really be needed.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2024
Although the leap second has its defenders (mostly Russia, whose GLONASS satellites are designed with the leap second in mind), the time anomaly’s most ardent opponents include the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and nearly the entire technological world.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 29 Nov. 2022
The nation's satellite positioning system, GLONASS, was built with leap seconds in mind, and reworking the system would seemingly be taxing.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
After an initial insertion of 10 leap seconds in 1972, timekeepers now add a leap second to atomic time roughly every year and a half.
—New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022
Whether a regular leap second or a negative leap second is called for, in fact, these tiny changes can be a massive headache for industries ranging from telecommunications to navigation systems.
—Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leap second.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Leap second.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leap%20second. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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