timer
gb/tˈaɪmɚ/ us/tˈaɪmɚ/
B1
Inglés
~ 7700
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B1
entity
1
device that counts down time
A tool or phone function that you set for a period of time so it will ring or show you when the time is finished.
Patrón de uso:
set a timer for [time_period]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse "timer" with "clock". A clock shows the current time (for example, 3:30 p.m.), but a timer measures a period (for example, 10 minutes). They may also say *"put a timer"* instead of the more natural "set a timer".
Sinónimos
stopwatch (Often measures how long something takes from start to finish, while a timer usually counts down from a set time.)
Antónimos
clock (A clock shows the current time of day, while a timer measures a limited period of time until it ends.)
Colocaciones
set a timer
|kitchen timer
|countdown timer
|digital timer
|wind-up timer
|phone timer
Temas
daily_life
|technology
|cooking
Ejemplos
- I set a ten-minute timer for the pasta.
- Use the timer on your phone so you don’t forget to take the cookies out.
- The workout app includes a built-in interval timer.
- She started the timer and began the exam.
- The oven timer beeped to tell us the cake was ready.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Please set a timer for five minutes.
- I use a timer when I cook rice.
- The timer goes off when the time is finished.
- He uses a timer on his phone to wake up.
- She started the timer before the test.
Sustantivo
technical
B2
entity
2
automatic on/off time controller
A device in a machine that makes it start or stop by itself at a set time.
Patrón de uso:
a timer for [equipment]
Error frecuente:
Learners may not realize that this "timer" is usually inside the machine and not a separate object you hold in your hand. It is different from a simple kitchen timer that only beeps.
Sinónimos
time switch (A more technical term, especially for devices that control electrical circuits based on time.)
Antónimos
manual switch (A control that requires a person to turn equipment on or off instead of it happening automatically by time.)
Colocaciones
light timer
|sprinkler timer
|irrigation timer
|automatic timer
|programmable timer
|electronic timer
Temas
technology
|engineering
|home
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- The garden lights are on a timer so they turn on at sunset.
- We installed a timer on the water heater to save energy.
- The sprinkler timer is set to run every morning at six.
- This coffee machine has a built-in timer that starts brewing before you wake up.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The lights are on a timer in our house.
- We use a timer to turn the garden water on and off.
- The heater has a timer, so it stops at night.
- He set the timer so the fan turns off after one hour.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
3
person who records race times
A person at a race who watches the clock and writes down how long each runner or team takes.
Patrón de uso:
the timer for [race/event]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think "timer" always means a device. In sports reports, it can refer to a person whose job is to record times.
Sinónimos
timekeeper (More formal and slightly more common in official sports language, but with the same basic role.)
Antónimos
competitor (The opposite role in a race: the person who is being timed rather than the one who does the timing.)
Colocaciones
official timer
|race timer
|meet timer
|event timer
Temas
sports
|work
|events
Ejemplos
- The official timer announced that she had broken the national record.
- Each lane had a separate timer to record the swimmer’s result.
- The timer signaled the end of the round and reported the time to the judges.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The timer checked the watch and wrote the result.
- Every runner has a timer at the finish line.
- The timer said my time was ten minutes.
- He worked as a timer at the swim meet.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
timer
AFI
GB/tˈaɪmɚ/
US/tˈaɪmɚ/
Sílabas y acento
timer (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (timer)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: timer
- Plural: timers
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
countdown timer
1/kˈaʊntdˌaʊn tˈaɪmɚ/
fixed phrase
timer showing time remaining
A timer that starts at a number and goes down to zero to show how much time is left.
Ejemplos
- The countdown timer on the screen showed ten seconds left.
- Use a countdown timer during presentations to stay on time.
egg timer
1/ˈɛɡ tˈaɪmɚ/
fixed phrase
small timer for boiling eggs
A small timer that helps you know how long to boil eggs.
Ejemplos
- She set the egg timer for three minutes for soft-boiled eggs.
- We still have an old egg timer next to the stove.
kitchen timer
1/kˈɪt͡ʃən tˈaɪmɚ/
fixed phrase
timer used for cooking
A small timer that you use when you cook, to know when food is ready.
Ejemplos
- I use a kitchen timer to make sure the eggs don’t overcook.
- The kitchen timer rang, and she turned off the oven.
on a timer
1/ˈɔn ə tˈaɪmɚ/
fixed phrase
controlled automatically by timer
Used to say that lights, machines, or other things turn on or off automatically because a timer controls them.
Ejemplos
- The hallway lights are on a timer and go off at midnight.
- Our garden sprinklers are on a timer, so we don’t have to remember to water the plants.
set a timer
1/sˈɛt ə tˈaɪmɚ/
fixed phrase
program a timer for later
To choose a length of time on a timer so it will ring or show you when that time is finished.
Ejemplos
- Set a timer for twenty minutes so we don’t burn the pizza.
- I always set a timer when I take something out of the freezer to defrost.
- She set a timer on her phone to remind her about the meeting.