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

Walking the carpet alongside seasoned Met Gala attendees were a couple of first-timers who made their debut at the event held the first Monday in May. —Arushi Jacob, Variety, 5 May 2026

There are approximately 60 first-timers and returning members. —Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

However, these appliances usually come with an automatic shutoff timer that will turn the stovetop off when the time is up or incase of a spill. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 4 May 2026

In 1932, the inventor Alois Benjamin Saliger patented the Psycho-phone, a phonograph hooked up to a timer which could play recordings while a person was asleep. —Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 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