moment
 mo·ment (mōʹmənt)n.
1. A brief, indefinite interval of time.
2. A specific point in time, especially the present time:
He is not here at the moment.
3. A particular period of importance, influence, or significance in a series of events or developments:
a great moment in history; waiting for her big moment.
4. Outstanding significance or value; importance:
a discovery of great moment.
5. A brief period of time that is characterized by a quality, such as excellence, suitability, or distinction:
a lackluster performance that nevertheless had its moments.
6. Philosophy.
a. An essential or constituent element, as of a complex idea.
b. A phase or an aspect of a logically developing process.
7. Abbr. M Physics.
a. The product of a quantity and its perpendicular distance from a reference point.
b. The tendency to cause rotation about a point or an axis.
8. Statistics. The expected value of a positive integral power of a random variable. The first moment is the mean of the distribution. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mōmentum, from *movimentum. See momentum.]
Synonyms: moment, instant, minute1, second1, jiffy, flash
These nouns denote a brief interval of time. A moment is an indeterminately short but significant period: I'll be with you in a moment. Instant is a period of time almost too brief to detect; it implies haste: He hesitated for just an instant. Minute is often interchangable with moment and second with instant: The alarm will ring any minute. I'll be back in a second. Jiffy and flash usually combine with in a; in a jiffy means in a short space of time, while in a flash suggests the almost imperceptible duration of a flash of light: “He was on his stool in a jiffy, driving away with his pen” (Charles Dickens). She finished the job in a flash. See also synonyms at importance
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