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

Set a timer for two to five minutes and write freely, with no structure or polish required, to give swirling thoughts somewhere to land. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Each new lightning flash in the 8-mile radius resets the timer. — Chris Vagasky, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

First-timers should order the baked chicken salad pie—if a quiche and chicken salad sandwich had a baby, this would be it. — Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026

White Cube, another first-timer, will show work by Christine Ay Tjoe, Danh Vo, Etel Adnan, Beatriz Milhazes, and others. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 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