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

• chronometer
• clock
• timekeeper
• timepiece

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

Once the timer has elapsed, use a clean, microfiber cloth to wipe off the solution. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 5 June 2025

The timer on a rice cooker is great for those who don’t have much time to cook after work. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 2 June 2025

There’s also a timer mode that automatically shuts it off after one, three, or six hours. —Clint Davis, People.com, 23 May 2025

The stuff of them, fragments of timers and pages of logbooks, aren’t intended to uncover new information or unravel conspiracies. —Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025

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