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instant

noun
/ˈɪnstənt/

Etymology

From Middle English instant (“infinitely short period of time”), from Old French instant (“assiduous, at hand”, adjective), from Latin īnstāns, īnstantis (“present, pressing, urgent”, literally “standing near”), present active participle of īnstō (“to stand upon, be nearby”), from in- (“after”) + stō (“to stand”). Compare Old English instede (“immediately, on the spot, at once”). More at in, stand.

  1. derived from instans
  2. inherited from instant
  3. borrowed from instant

Definitions

  1. A very short period of time

    A very short period of time; a moment.

    • She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.
    • Thy life is long, Eternity is short. So short that, shouldst thou die and Eternity should pass, and after the passing of Eternity thou shouldst live again, thou wouldst say: ‘I closed mine eyes but for an instant.’

  2. A single, usually precise, point in time.

    • The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.

  3. A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially…

    A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially instant coffee.

  4. ›+ 11 more definitions

    1. Ellipsis of instant camera.

    2. Impending

      Impending; imminent.

      • Impending death is thine, and instant doom.

    3. Urgent

      Urgent; pressing; acute.

    4. Insistent

      Insistent; persistent.

      • Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
      • January 2, 1827, Thomas Carlyle, letter to Mrs. Carlyle, Scotsbrig I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation.

    5. Present

      Present; current; extant.

      • He received just two disciplinary reports prior to committing the instant offense, one in March 2019 for activating an alarm during a non-emergency situation, and one in May 2019 for failing to provide a urine specimen.

    6. Occurring immediately

      Occurring immediately; immediate; present.

      • I ſee no day to To day, the inſtant Time is alvvayes the fitteſt time.
      • No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict; he had often threatened any one of his employés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of these touts.
      • Gone are all the days of instant romance / And the nights of slow goodbyes / It was a time of life when foxy was the dance / And then you got wise to all of my abilis

    7. Lasting for a short moment

      Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.

    8. Very quickly and easily prepared.

      • instant coffee; instant noodles; instant mashed potato; instant photo

    9. Of the current month.

      • I refer to your letter of the 16th instant in regard to traffic disruption.
      • Vice-Admiral Kamimura reports that at dawn of the 14th instant, our squadron found, off Ulsan, the south-eastern coast of Corea, three ships of the Vladivostock squadron steaming southward.

    10. At once

      At once; immediately.

      • He left the room for his relinquished sword, / And Julia instant to the closet flew.

    11. To urge, press (someone)

      To urge, press (someone); to insist on, demand (something).

The neighborhood

Derived

on the instant, point-instant, this instant, upon the instant, iBuyer, Instagram, instantise, instantize, instant karma, instant loss, instant loss 2koma, instantly, instant mami, instant mash, instant mashed potatoes, instant message, instant messaging, instant messenger, instantness, instant noodle, instanton, instant replay, instant-runoff voting, instant sunrise, instant sunshine

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for instant. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA