Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - minute

~1 n 1 »TIME« one of the 60 parts into which an hour is divided  (It takes me ten minutes to walk to work. | The train arrived at four minutes past eight.) 2 at the last minute at the last possible time, just before it is too late  (Clare changed her mind at the last minute and came with us.)  (- see also last­minute) 3 by the minute also every minute, minute by minute spoken increasingly as time passes  ("Do you still feel sick?" "No, I'm feeling better by the minute.") 4 love/enjoy/hate etc every minute of informal to love, enjoy etc all of something  (I went camping for a week and enjoyed every minute of it.) 5 within minutes very soon after something has happened  (The ambulance was there within minutes.) 6 »MEETING« minutes an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting 7 »NOTE ON A REPORT« a short official note on or about a document 8 »MATHEMATICS« technical one of the 60 parts into which a degree of angle is divided  (- see also up­to­the­minute) 9 a minute a very short period of time; moment (2)  (He was there a minute ago. | Stay there a minute.) 10 in a minute very soon  (All right, I'll do it in a minute. | Mr Gregson will be with you in a minute.) 11 wait a minute/just a minute/hold on a minute/hang on a minute a) used to tell someone you want them to wait for a short time while you do or say something else  (Wait a minute, I have to turn off the cooker. | Just a minute, I'll see if she's in.) b) used to tell someone to stop speaking or doing something for a short time because they have said or done something wrong  (Hold on a minute! That can't be right.) 12 any minute now used to say that something will happen extremely soon  (We're expecting them any minute now.) 13 have you got a minute? BrE do you have a minute? AmE used to ask someone if it is convenient for you to talk to them for a short time  (Have you got a minute? I've got a problem.) 14 one minute a) used to say that a situation suddenly changes  (One minute they're madly in love and the next they've split up again.) b) used to ask someone to wait for a short time while you do something else  (One minute Stephen, let me finish this.) 15 the minute sb does sth as soon as someone does something  (Tell him I need to see him the minute he arrives.) 16 the next minute immediately afterwards  (I put down the phone and the next minute it rang again.) 17 not think/believe/etc for one minute used to say that you certainly do not think something, believe something etc  (I don't think for one minute that he'll do it but I have to ask.) 18 this minute used to tell someone, often angrily, to do something immediately  (Johnny! Get inside, this minute!) ~2 adj 1 extremely small  (There's been a minute improvement in sales figures. | Her handwriting is minute.) 2 paying careful attention to the smallest details  (a minute examination of the rock | in minute detail)  (He explained the plan in minute detail.) - minutely adv - minuteness n ~3 v especially BrE to make an official note of something in the record of a meeting