A device that measures and signals when a set amount of time has passed.
From 'time' (Old English 'tīm') plus the agent suffix '-er,' creating a word for a thing that times. Became common in the 1800s as mechanical and later electronic timing devices became widespread.
The timer is a surprisingly recent invention in human history—the ability to measure precise intervals standardized everything from cooking to sports to industrial production, essentially creating our modern concept of punctuality!
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