Adjacent Words

Instantaneous definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INSTANTA'NEOUS, a. Done in an instant; occurring or acting without any perceptible succession; very speedily. The passage of electricity through any given space appears to be instantaneous.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: occurring with no delay; "relief was instantaneous"; "instant gratification" [syn: instantaneous, instant]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Medieval Latin instantaneus, from instant-, instans, noun Date: 1651 1. done, occurring, or acting without any perceptible duration of time <death was instantaneous> 2. done without any delay being purposely introduced <took instantaneous action to correct the abuse> 3. occurring or present at a particular instant <instantaneous velocity> • instantaneity noun • instantaneously adverb • instantaneousness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 occurring or done in an instant or instantly. 2 Physics existing at a particular instant. Derivatives: instantaneity n. instantaneously adv. instantaneousness n. Etymology: med.L instantaneus f. L instans (as INSTANT) after eccl.L momentaneus

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Instantaneous In`stan*ta"ne*ous, a. [Cf. F. instantan['e].] 1. Done or occurring in an instant, or without any perceptible duration of time; as, the passage of electricity appears to be instantaneous. His reason saw With instantaneous view, the truth of things. --Thomson. 2. At or during a given instant; as, instantaneous acceleration, velocity, etc. Instantaneous center of rotation (Kinematics), in a plane or in a plane figure which has motions both of translation and of rotation in the plane, is the point which for the instant is at rest. Instantaneous axis of rotation (Kinematics), in a body which has motions both of translation and rotation, is a line, which is supposed to be rigidly united with the body, and which for the instant is at rest. The motion of the body is for the instant simply that of rotation about the instantaneous axis. -- In`stan*ta"ne*ous*ly, adv. -- In`stan*ta"ne*ous*ness, n.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Something that is instantaneous happens immediately and very quickly. Death was instantaneous because both bullets hit the heart. = immediate ADJ • instantaneously Airbags inflate instantaneously on impact. ADV: ADV with v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Immediate, quick, instant.

Moby Thesaurus

alert, apt, brief, compact, compendious, concise, curt, curtal, curtate, decisive, decurtate, expeditious, fast, hair-trigger, immediate, instant, lightning-like, little, low, momentaneous, momentary, presto, prompt, punctual, quick, quick as lightning, quick as thought, rapid, ready, short, short and sweet, speedy, spontaneous, succinct, summary, swift, synoptic, transient, transitory