egg timer

noun

1. a small hourglass or clock device running about three to five minutes, used to time the boiling of an egg.

egg timer

noun

1. a device, typically a miniature hourglass, for timing the boiling of an egg

Word History and Origins

Origin of egg timer¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The dining room has moved to the property’s courtyard, a tented and heated environment where egg timers help servers track the length of disinfecting procedures between seatings.

From Washington Post

My spirits, which had risen momentarily from their classic depths, sank like the sands of an egg-timer.

From Project Gutenberg