minute
minute Lexical Profile
minute Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A unit of time equal to sixty seconds or one sixtieth of an hour.
"The train is scheduled to arrive at the station in exactly one minute."
An official written record of the proceedings, discussions, and decisions made during a meeting.
"The secretary circulated the minutes of the board meeting to all executives for review."
A unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of a degree.
"The precise geographical coordinates were provided in degrees, minutes, and seconds."
• verb
To record the proceedings, discussions, or decisions of a meeting in official written notes.
"The chief executive asked her assistant to minute the new policy agreements carefully."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word is a heteronym; as a noun or verb denoting time or records, it is pronounced /ˈmɪnɪt/, whereas as an adjective meaning extremely small or detailed, it is pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/.
• Rhymes for minute
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'minutus' (made small), past participle of 'minuere' (to lessen). The unit of time derives from Ptolemy's 'pars minuta prima' (first small part), representing one sixtieth of an hour.