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split second

noun

a fraction of a second.
an infinitesimal amount of time; instant; twinkling.

split second

noun

an extremely small period of time; instant

adjective

made or arrived at in an infinitely short time
a split-second decision
depending upon minute precision
split-second timing

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Other Word Forms

split-second adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of split second¹

First recorded in 1880–85

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Idioms and Phrases

An instant, a fraction of a second, as in Our best swimmer came in a split second before theirs. This expression alludes to a stop watch that has two second hands, one above the other, for timing more than one athlete or intervals of a race by a single athlete. Each hand can be stopped independently of the other, so a second can be “split” when one second hand stops a fraction of a second after the other. [c. 1880]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"Then, just a split second later, as the shelling began again, I heard a burst from an automatic rifle," Zelenin said.

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A businessman who told a criminal he could sell a stolen £4.8m golden toilet for him "in two split seconds" has been given a 21-month suspended sentence.

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It sounds different; it feels different, even if just for a split second.

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They have togetherness for a split second and then it’s taken away.

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"This man made a decision in a split second, which is truly exceptional and for which there should be a lot of appreciation."

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