millisecond

[ mil-uh-sek-uhnd ]

noun

1. one thousandth of a second. : msec

millisecond

/ ˈmɪlɪˌsɛkənd /

noun

1. one thousandth of a second ms

Word History and Origins

Origin of millisecond¹

First recorded in 1905–10; milli- + second ²

Example Sentences

They learned that human noses are much faster than previously believed, distinguishing between different odors in an interval as short as 60 milliseconds on average.

From Salon

As it always is in sports where you have teams competing for milliseconds over each other.

From BBC

“I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life and changed who I was as a person. Changed the sparkle I had and the light that I used to carry.”

From Los Angeles Times

"We all take around 200 milliseconds between turns and show some interesting small cultural variations. Some cultures are ‘fast talkers’."

From BBC

So the AI warns pilots of situations likely to end in their jet being shot down and it takes that decision in milliseconds.

From BBC

Related Words

• blink of an eye
• nanosecond