minutes
minutes — noun
1. the units of time you count up to sixty to make one hour; each one lasts sixty s
the units of time you count up to sixty to make one hour; each one lasts sixty seconds
The pizza was ready ten minutes after Sayaka put it in the oven.
[number] + minutes after [event]
Wren only had fifteen minutes to catch the next bus to school.
[number] + minutes to [verb]
The phone call from Padma's mother lasted almost forty minutes last night.
Boil the eggs for exactly seven minutes if you want the centre soft.
Ignacio reached the station with only two minutes to spare before the train left.
文法句型
[number] + minute(s)
in [number] minutes
for [number] minutes
用法筆記
Almost always quantified by a number; the bare singular 'a minute' meaning 60 seconds is uncommon outside this slot.
常見錯誤
2. a very short stretch of time, used loosely when you do not mean an exact number
a very short stretch of time, used loosely when you do not mean an exact number of seconds
Hold on a minute — Tamás left his wallet on the kitchen table.
hold on a minute (informal stalling)
Layla will be down in a minute; she is still drying her hair.
be + down in a minute (very soon)
For a minute Soraya thought she had lost the house keys at the market.
Wait a minute, that is not the answer Christopher gave yesterday.
- ages
informal opposite — a long time
文法句型
in a minute
wait a minute
for a minute
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1 because no real measurement is implied; 'a minute' here can stretch to many seconds or several minutes in practice.
常見錯誤
3. a small division of an angle, equal to one-sixtieth of a degree, used in navigat
a small division of an angle, equal to one-sixtieth of a degree, used in navigation and astronomy
The ship's bearing was forty-two degrees and twelve minutes north of east.
[degrees] and [minutes] (navigation)
Astronomers measured the star's shift as only three minutes of arc per year.
[number] minutes of arc (astronomy)
On the old map, Zayd marked the village at seventeen degrees and forty minutes east.
Each degree on the compass dial is broken down into sixty minutes for fine readings.
- arcminute
single-word technical term used by astronomers
文法句型
[number] minutes (of arc)
[degrees]° [minutes]′
用法筆記
Subject is usually an angle, bearing, or coordinate. Often written with the prime symbol (′) in technical text rather than the full word.
4. a short written message that one office worker sends to another to summarise a p
a short written message that one office worker sends to another to summarise a point or make a recommendation
Minh sent a minute to the director outlining three concerns about the new policy.
send a minute to [person]
The chief of staff drafted a minute about the budget shortfall for next week's review.
draft a minute about [topic]
Nia attached the supplier's quotation to her minute on the procurement options.
Each department head must submit a short minute summarising progress every Friday afternoon.
- memo
more common in American business English
- memorandum
fuller, more formal version of the same idea
- note
broader; not always for an official audience
文法句型
a minute on/about [topic]
send a minute to [person]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5 (the meeting record). This sense is a single brief memo from one official to another; sense 5 is the running record of what a whole meeting said.
常見錯誤
5. the written list of what each person said and what the group decided during a fo
the written list of what each person said and what the group decided during a formal meeting, kept so members can check it later
Élise volunteered to take the minutes during the parent council meeting last Thursday.
take the minutes (action of recording)
The chair asked everyone to approve the minutes of the previous board meeting first.
approve the minutes of [meeting]
Kevin circulated the draft minutes to all committee members by email on Friday morning.
According to the minutes, the union voted unanimously to reject the new contract terms.
Sivan keeps the minutes neatly filed by date in a green folder beside her desk.
- proceedings
more formal; often used for courts and academic conferences
- record
more general; minutes are one kind of record
文法句型
the minutes of [meeting]
take/keep the minutes
minutes of the previous meeting
用法筆記
Almost always plural with 'the'. The person creating them 'takes' or 'keeps' the minutes; members 'approve' or 'circulate' them.
常見錯誤
minutes — adjective
1. so small in size that you can barely see it without help, for example, dust on a
so small in size that you can barely see it without help, for example, dust on a lens or grains in a powder
Sayaka spotted a minute crack along the rim of her grandmother's porcelain teacup.
a minute crack/flaw (visual defect)
Even a minute amount of the chemical can change the colour of the water completely.
a minute amount of [substance]
The microscope showed minute bubbles trapped inside the layer of frozen ice cream.
There were minute traces of pollen on the surface of every leaf Layla collected.
- tiny
everyday word; less formal
- microscopic
stronger; literally needing a microscope
- infinitesimal
very formal; emphasises smallness near zero
文法句型
a minute [noun]
minute amount/quantity of [noun]
用法筆記
Pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/, unlike the time noun /ˈmɪnɪt/. Strongest with concrete physical objects or measurable quantities.
常見錯誤
2. so small or insignificant in size or effect that it is not worth giving much att
so small or insignificant in size or effect that it is not worth giving much attention to
Christopher dismissed Wren's complaint as a minute matter that would resolve itself overnight.
dismiss as a minute matter
The committee spent two hours debating a minute change to the wording of paragraph six.
a minute change to [text]
Nia's role in the project was minute compared with what Tamás contributed every day.
Only a minute fraction of the audience noticed that the second violinist had missed her cue.
- trivial
more common; implies not worth bothering with
- trifling
literary; same as trivial but rarer
- negligible
stresses an amount too small to count
- significant
common opposite for importance
- major
stronger opposite
文法句型
a minute [difference/point/detail]
of minute importance
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is physical smallness; this sense rates importance, effect, or proportion as negligible. Often paired with 'compared with' or 'fraction of'.
3. involving very close attention to every small part, so that nothing is missed
involving very close attention to every small part, so that nothing is missed
Padma described the wedding dress in minute detail over coffee with her cousin.
in minute detail (descriptive)
The accountant gave minute attention to every line of the family business accounts.
minute attention to [task]
Élise's diary recorded her travels in Vietnam with minute care for dates and prices.
The detective examined the broken window in minute detail before calling the photographer.
- meticulous
describes the person or method, not just the result
- painstaking
stresses the effort involved
- thorough
more general; less about smallness of details
文法句型
minute detail
in minute detail
minute attention to [noun]
用法筆記
Almost always paired with 'detail', 'attention', 'care', or 'examination'. Distinct from sense 2 (which downplays importance); this sense praises thoroughness.
常見錯誤
minutes — verb
1. to write down a short summary of what was said or agreed, especially during a me
to write down a short summary of what was said or agreed, especially during a meeting or interview
Soraya was asked to minute the discussion between the headteacher and the school inspector.
minute + [event] (formal recording)
Please minute that the board agreed to postpone the building work until April.
minute that + clause (formal record)
Kevin minuted every objection raised during the long afternoon planning meeting.
The secretary minuted the conversation while the two ministers discussed the trade deal.
文法句型
minute [a meeting/discussion]
minute that [clause]
用法筆記
Rare outside British formal or administrative writing. Subject is usually a secretary, clerk, or official with the task of producing the record.