minute
minute — noun
1. One of the 60 equal units that an hour breaks into; each unit lasts 60 seconds.
One of the 60 equal units that an hour breaks into; each unit lasts 60 seconds.
The bus arrived ten minutes late, so Quinn missed the start of the film.
number + minutes for duration
Linh set the kitchen timer for three minutes before taking out the cake.
Each class lasts about fifty minutes, with a quick break in the middle.
It is twenty minutes past seven by the clock on the wall.
Rania waited for nearly forty minutes before the doctor called her name.
文法句型
number + minute(s)
minute(s) + past/to + hour
用法筆記
Frequently preceded by a number (two minutes, ten minutes). When telling time, American English prefers 'minutes after' where British English uses 'minutes past', though both are understood.
常見錯誤
2. A very short period of time that feels less than a full sixty seconds, often use
A very short period of time that feels less than a full sixty seconds, often used in everyday conversation.
"Can you wait a minute?" Gabriela asked while putting on her coat.
wait a minute for a short delay
The rain stopped for a minute, and the children ran quickly to the shelter.
Heather rested for a minute on the bench before walking up the hill again.
Hugo said he would be back in a minute after checking the mail room.
文法句型
a minute
for a minute
in a minute
用法筆記
In spoken English, 'a minute' in this sense does not refer to an exact 60-second period. Contrast with sense 1, where 'five minutes' means exactly 300 seconds. Also used in polite requests: 'Just a minute, please.'
常見錯誤
3. A short period when you are not busy, used to ask whether someone is free to tal
A short period when you are not busy, used to ask whether someone is free to talk or help with something.
"Do you have a minute?" Faisal asked, knocking on the manager's open door.
have a minute — question form asking for time
Zuri hoped the director would have a minute between meetings to sign the form.
The professor did not have a minute to look at Hyun's draft before the deadline.
If you have a minute, could you check the numbers in this spreadsheet for me?
文法句型
have a minute
have a minute to + infinitive
用法筆記
Almost always used in questions ('Do you have a minute?') or negative statements ('I don't have a minute'). Distinguished from sense 2 by focusing on availability rather than elapsed duration.
4. An official written summary of the discussions, decisions, and action points fro
An official written summary of the discussions, decisions, and action points from a formal meeting.
The secretary read out the minutes from last month's board meeting.
the minutes of [meeting] — formal collocation
Asher was asked to take the minutes during the weekly team discussion.
All committee members received a copy of the minutes by email the next morning.
The minutes showed that the board had voted to approve the new safety policy.
- record
more general; not specific to meetings
- proceedings
more formal; covers everything that happened, not just decisions
文法句型
the minutes of + noun
take the minutes
read the minutes
用法筆記
Always used in the plural form 'minutes' when referring to meeting records. 'Take the minutes' means to write them down; 'read / approve the minutes' refers to reviewing and confirming them at the next meeting.
常見錯誤
5. A short written message sent between colleagues within an organization, often pr
A short written message sent between colleagues within an organization, often proposing or recommending a specific action.
The director sent a minute to all staff about the new parking rules.
minute about [topic] — formal memo sense
Pim drafted a minute recommending changes to the office cleaning schedule.
Each department head received a minute outlining the updated safety procedures.
The manager's minute asked team leaders to submit their budget proposals by Friday.
文法句型
minute + about/on + noun
用法筆記
Primarily British English. In American English, 'memorandum' or 'memo' is preferred. Distinguished from sense 4: this is a single note between colleagues, not the formal record of a meeting.
常見錯誤
6. One of the 60 equal units used for measuring angles; each unit equals one sixtie
One of the 60 equal units used for measuring angles; each unit equals one sixtieth of a degree and is written with the symbol ′.
The map gave the coordinates as forty-five degrees and thirty minutes north.
degrees + minutes for coordinates
A navigation error of just one minute can push a ship several miles off course.
Lucas adjusted the telescope a few minutes for a clearer view of the star.
The surveyor recorded the angle as twelve degrees and forty-five minutes exactly.
A full circle measures three hundred sixty degrees, each degree split into sixty minutes.
- arcminute
more precise technical term; 'minute of arc'
文法句型
number + minute(s)
degree(s) + minute(s) + second(s)
用法筆記
Used in geometry, navigation, astronomy, and surveying. Follows the same sexagesimal system as time: 1 degree = 60 minutes, 1 minute = 60 seconds (″). Not to be confused with the time sense — context (degrees / coordinates / angles) disambiguates.
常見錯誤
minute — verb
1. To write down an official summary of what is discussed and decided during a form
To write down an official summary of what is discussed and decided during a formal meeting, producing a record called 'the minutes'.
Linh was asked to minute the discussions at the quarterly review meeting.
minute + discussions / proceedings — formal transitive
The committee secretary minuted every decision made during the three-hour session.
Faisal carefully minuted the objections raised by the finance department.
It is standard practice to minute all motions and the results of each vote.
Padma's suggestion was minuted and later included in the final version of the report.
文法句型
minute + noun phrase
be minuted
用法筆記
Primarily British English. Often used in formal meeting contexts. The passive form 'be minuted' is common: 'The agreement was minuted.' Not to be confused with the noun 'minutes' (sense 4) — this is the verb form of the same concept.
常見錯誤
minute — adjective
1. Extremely small in size, amount, or degree — often so small that it is hard to s
Extremely small in size, amount, or degree — often so small that it is hard to see or measure without careful attention.
The handwriting on the old letter was so minute that Élise needed a magnifying glass.
minute + noun for extremely small size
Minute cracks in the wall let in a thin stream of cold winter air.
The scientist examined the minute organisms living in a single drop of pond water.
There was a minute difference between the two shades of blue that Heather mixed.
The jeweller used a special lens to see the minute scratches on the diamond surface.
- tiny
more common and less formal; used in everyday speech
- minuscule
similar formality; suggests something surprisingly or impressively small
- microscopic
more technical; suggests something visible only under magnification
文法句型
minute + noun
用法筆記
Pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/ (my-NOOT), distinctly different from the noun 'minute' /ˈmɪnɪt/ (MIN-it). More formal than 'tiny' or 'small'. Often used in scientific or technical descriptions where precision matters.
常見錯誤
2. Done with great care and very close attention to every detail, leaving nothing u
Done with great care and very close attention to every detail, leaving nothing unexamined.
The inspector carried out a minute examination of the building's electrical system.
minute examination / inspection — thorough checking
Anong kept minute records of every expense, down to the smallest coin spent.
The lawyer studied the contract with minute attention to every single clause.
Dylan wrote a minute description of the crime scene for the police report.
- thorough
more common; focuses on completeness
- meticulous
similar formality; emphasizes care to avoid mistakes
- painstaking
emphasizes that the process required great effort
- cursory
performed with little attention to detail
- superficial
opposite in depth of examination
文法句型
minute + noun (examination/description/record)
用法筆記
Also pronounced /maɪˈnjuːt/. Unlike sense 1 (which focuses on physical size), this sense describes the quality of an action or process — how carefully something is done. Common with nouns like 'examination', 'analysis', 'description', 'inspection', 'detail'.