Jiffy

Quick meaning: Jiffy is a noun meaning (colloquial) A very short, unspecified length of time.

Meaning

(colloquial) A very short, unspecified length of time.

More Meanings

1. (electronics) The length of an alternating current power cycle (1/60 or 1/50 of a second).
2. (UK) Ellipsis of jiffy bag, a padded envelope.
3. (computing) A unit of time defined by the frequency of its basic timer – historically, and by convention, 0.01 of a second, but some computer operating systems use other values.
4. (physics) The time taken for light to travel a specified distance in a vacuum, usually one centimetre (approximately 33.3564 picoseconds), but sometimes one foot or the width of a nucleon.

Example Sentences

I’ll be back in a jiffy.

Most of the limbs of the law do every thing in a jiffy; but ask what they mean, and they would be as much puzzled, as if you required of them the explanantion of a common act of parliament.

"Plonker!" Harry shouted. Sgt Glum arrived at the double from the newly extended kitchen were the SAS were billeted. / "Sah?" / "Prepare the men, Sergeant, we're on the march in two jiffies." "Yessah! Where to, sah?"

Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern. Then, for a jiffy, I hung on and fought for breath.

Word Forms

• jiffies

Synonyms for jiffy

Depending on context, synonyms include instant, jiff, mo, sec, tick, bit.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include instant, split second, flash, trice, twinkling, wink.

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