time

noun (SUITABLE POINT)

/taɪm/

Definition

B1 [S or U] a particular point of the day, year, etc. that is suitable for a particular activity, or at which something is expected to happen: holiday time party time Put your toys away now - it's time for bed. It's time (that) I was leaving. [+ to infinitive] Is it time to go home yet? This is not the time (= not a suitable moment) to be thinking about buying a house. This is no time (= not a suitable moment) to change your mind. I feel that the time has come (= now is a suitable moment) for me to move on. The repairs to the road were finished two weeks ahead of time (= sooner than was expected). Why is it that the trains never run on time (= make their journeys in the expected number of hours, etc.)? She's grown old before her time (= sooner than she might have been expected to have done).Points in time in time B1 early enough: I got home just in time - it's starting to rain. If we don't hurry up, we won't be in time to catch the train. We arrived in good time (= we arrived early) for the start of the match.At the right time (bang/dead/right) on time informal › happening or done at the particular moment that it was expected to happen or be done: The bus arrived dead on time.At the right time ahead of time mainly US › earlier than a particular moment: Let's meet for lunch. I'll call you ahead of time to fix up exactly when and where.Before, after and alreadyAfter and behind about time C1 (also high time) informal › If it is about time/high time that someone did something, it should have been done sooner or a long time ago: It's about time (that) the school improved its meals service. It is high time for the critics to open their minds to a new approach.Late about time (too) (also not before time) informal › said when someone does something or something happens that you think should have been done or have happened much sooner: "So Ben's finally found a job." "Yes, and about time too."Late

(Definition of time noun (SUITABLE POINT) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)