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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As Traders Magazine notes, even a 200-microsecond delay—caused simply by the physical distance between venues—can determine who executes first and who suffers slippage and adverse selection in fast-moving markets. Ashok Reddy, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Understanding quark-gluon plasma could reveal what conditions in the universe were like in its first microseconds and how this gave way to protons and neutrons — and eventually, the matter that populates the cosmos today. Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2025 But unlike neutrons, which decay in about 10 minutes, muons vanish within microseconds. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025 The improvement might seem minor—the new prototype can store energy for microseconds instead of nanoseconds. IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for microsecond

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Microsecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microsecond. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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

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