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

Use a timer to shut off exterior lights and avoid wasting energy in the mornings. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025

Common features of star projectors include a sleep timer, so the unit doesn't run through the night, a speaker to add to ambience and rotation, so the images have a moving effect, rather than staying still on a wall or ceiling. —Alexander Cox, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025

The Index 01 will beam that over to your phone, where your voice note will be transcribed locally, and an on-device large language model (LLM) will parse it to take actions like saving it as a note, turning it into a reminder, or setting a timer. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 10 Dec. 2025

The timer settings, brightness, and flicker mode can all be adjusted via remote control. —Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 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