stopwatch

[ stop-woch ]

noun

1. a watch with a hand or hands that can be stopped or started at any instant, used for precise timing, as in races.

stopwatch

/ ˈstɒpˌwɒtʃ /

noun

1. a type of watch used for timing events, such as sporting events, accurately, having a device for stopping the hand or hands instantly

Word History and Origins

Origin of stopwatch¹

First recorded in 1730–40; stop + watch

Example Sentences

As the season unfolded, Ohtani took particular interest in trying to identify such cues himself, sometimes reviewing video in the dugout with a stopwatch in hand.

From Los Angeles Times

“If I’d had a stopwatch,” she said, “I wouldn’t even have finished pushing down the stopwatch button before the thing was out. It was so easy and fast.”

From Slate

"The MEC isn't acting like a really simple stopwatch that's necessary to track time in any simple circumstance," Bigus said.

From Science Daily

A stopwatch then suddenly popped up within the box, counting the time until a button was pressed.

From New York Times

In “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity” — which isn’t being read by anyone tonight — Gloria Mark describes sitting behind people in their offices with a stopwatch in hand, click-clicking each time they switched computer screens or picked up a phone.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• timepiece
• wristwatch