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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
Other 51Թ Forms
- -oԻ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of split second1
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]Example Sentences
"This man made a decision in a split second, which is truly exceptional and for which there should be a lot of appreciation."
He has the preternatural ability to contort his facial expressions ever so slightly, going from innocent to cold and malevolent and back again in a split second.
“The moment we were in the lobby about to turn the rotating doors, the explosion happened, we saw the Cybertruck there, and in a split second, ‘Boom!’
That said the actor says his face can be seen for a "tiny split second" at the very end of the film: "Kudos to anyone that actually sees that."
Patiently waiting to give another interview, he let his guard down for a split second.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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