Stopwatch

/ˈstɑpˌwɑtʃ/ (US), /ˈstɒpˌwɒtʃ/ (UK) noun

Definition

A watch or device that can be started and stopped to measure exactly how long something takes.

Etymology

A compound of “stop” and “watch,” literally a watch that can be stopped and started at will. It appeared with the rise of precise mechanical timing.

Kelly Says

A stopwatch doesn’t care how you feel about time—it just counts. It turned sports and science into precision games, where a tiny fraction of a second can separate a world record from second place.

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