Adjacent Words

time immemorial definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the distant past beyond memory [syn: time immemorial, time out of mind]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1602 1. a time antedating a period legally fixed as the basis for a custom or right 2. time so long past as to be indefinite in history or tradition — called also time out of mind

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Time bill. Same as Time-table. [Eng.] Time book, a book in which is kept a record of the time persons have worked. Time detector, a timepiece provided with a device for registering and indicating the exact time when a watchman visits certain stations in his beat. Time enough, in season; early enough. ``Stanly at Bosworth field, . . . came time enough to save his life.'' --Bacon. Time fuse, a fuse, as for an explosive projectile, which can be so arranged as to ignite the charge at a certain definite interval after being itself ignited. Time immemorial, or Time out of mind. (Eng. Law) See under Immemorial. Time lock, a lock having clockwork attached, which, when wound up, prevents the bolt from being withdrawn when locked, until a certain interval of time has elapsed. Time of day, salutation appropriate to the times of the day, as ``good morning,'' ``good evening,'' and the like; greeting. To kill time. See under Kill, v. t. To make time. (a) To gain time. (b) To occupy or use (a certain) time in doing something; as, the trotting horse made fast time. To move, run, or go, against time, to move, run, or go a given distance without a competitor, in the quickest possible time; or, to accomplish the greatest distance which can be passed over in a given time; as, the horse is to run against time. True time. (a) Mean time as kept by a clock going uniformly. (b) (Astron.) Apparent time as reckoned from the transit of the sun's center over the meridian.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Immemorial Im`me*mo"ri*al, a. [Pref. im- not + memorial: cf. F. imm['e]morial.] Extending beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition; indefinitely ancient; as, existing from time immemorial. ``Immemorial elms.'' --Tennyson. ``Immemorial usage or custom.'' --Sir M. Hale. Time immemorial (Eng. Law.), a time antedating (legal) history, and beyond ``legal memory'' so called; formerly an indefinite time, but in 1276 this time was fixed by statute as the begining of the reign of Richard I. (1189). Proof of unbroken possession or use of any right since that date made it unnecessary to establish the original grant. In 1832 the plan of dating legal memory from a fixed time was abandoned and the principle substituted that rights which had been enjoyed for full twenty years (or as against the crown thirty years) should not be liable to impeachment merely by proving that they had not been enjoyed before.

Moby Thesaurus

ancient history, ancient times, ancientness, and night, antiquity, day after day, distance of time, distant past, enduringly, for an age, for life, for long, hour after hour, interminably, long, long ago, long since, month after month, morning, noon, persistently, protractedly, remote age, since time began, the livelong day, till doomsday, undyingly, unendingly, year after year