once upon a time
Definition of once upon a time
: at some time in the past He was a famous actor once upon a time. ◆Once upon a time is the traditional way to begin a fairy tale. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Snow White.
From the M-W Editors
Word by Word Definitions
: one time and no more
: at any one time : under any circumstances : ever
: at some indefinite time in the past : formerly
: one single time : one time at least
: that once was : former
: at the moment when : as soon as
: the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues : duration
: a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future
: leisure
: to arrange or set the time of : schedule
: to regulate (a watch) to keep correct time
: to set the tempo, speed, or duration of
: of or relating to time
: recording time
: timed to ignite or explode at a specific moment
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