Minute — Defs

01 n. The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds. (Abbrev. m. or min.; as, 4 h. 30 m.)

1.
The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds. (Abbrev. m. or min.; as, 4 h. 30 m.)
“Four minutes, that is to say, minutes of an hour.” — Chaucer.
2.
The sixtieth part of a degree; sixty seconds. (Marked thus (′); as, 10° 20′.)
3.
A nautical or a geographic mile.
4.
A coin; a half farthing.[Obs.]
5.
A very small part of anything, or anything very small; a jot; a tittle.[Obs.]
“Minutes and circumstances of his passion.” — Jer. Taylor.
6.
A point of time; a moment.
“I go this minute to attend the king.” — Dryden.
7.
The memorandum; a record; a note to preserve the memory of anything; as, to take minutes of a contract; to take minutes of a conversation or debate; to read the minutes of the last meeting.
8.
A fixed part of a module. See Module.(Arch.) See: Module

02 a. Of or pertaining to a minute or minutes; occurring at or marking successive minutes.

1.
Of or pertaining to a minute or minutes; occurring at or marking successive minutes.

Phrases & compounds

Minute bell — a bell tolled at intervals of a minute, as to give notice of a death or a funeral.

Minute book — a book in which written minutes are entered.

Minute glass — a glass measuring a minute or minutes by the running of sand.

Minute gun — a discharge of a cannon repeated every minute as a sign of distress or mourning.

Minute hand — the long hand of a watch or clock, which makes the circuit of the dial in an hour, and marks the minutes.

03 v. t. To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of.

1.
To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of.
“The Empress of Russia, with her own hand, minuted an edict for universal tolerance.” — Bancroft.

04 a. Very small; little; tiny; fine; slight; slender; inconsiderable; as, minute details.

1.
Very small; little; tiny; fine; slight; slender; inconsiderable; as, minute details.
2.
Attentive to small things; paying attention to details; critical; particular; precise; as, a minute observer; minute observation.

Syn. Little; diminutive; fine; critical; exact; circumstantial; particular; detailed.

-- Minute, Circumstantial, Particular. A circumstantial account embraces all the leading events; a particular account includes each event and movement, though of but little importance; a minute account goes further still, and omits nothing as to person, time, place, adjuncts, etc.