• n. 分，分鐘；片刻，一會(huì)兒；備忘錄，筆記；會(huì)議記錄
• vt. 將…記錄下來
• adj. 微小的，詳細(xì)的 [ma??nju?t; US -?nu?t; ma?ˋnut]

來自拉丁語minutus,小的，少的，來自PIE*mei,小的，詞源同minus,minimum.分鐘義來自拉丁短語pars minuta prima,即prime minute part,最初被數(shù)學(xué)家用于指圈的1/60，后用于指小時(shí)的1/60，即1分鐘。秒second來自拉丁短語secunda minuta,即second minute,第二個(gè)1/60，即1秒鐘。

來自拉丁語minutus,小的，少的，來自PIE*mei,小的，詞源同minus,minimum.引申詞義極小的，微小的，后作用名詞指會(huì)議記錄。

minute

minute: [14] Latin minūtus ‘small’ was a derivative of the verb minuere ‘lessen’ (source of English diminish), which itself was based on the element min- ‘small’. In medieval Latin the term pars minuta prima ‘first small part’ was applied to a ‘sixtieth part of a whole’ – originally of a circle, later of an hour (likewise a second was originally a secunda minuta, a sixtieth of a sixtieth).

Hence minūta itself came to be used for the unit of time, and that was the original meaning of minute when English acquired it via Old French. Its use for ‘note, record’ may derive from the Latin expression minuta scriptura, which denoted the writing of a rough draft in ‘small’ writing. The adjective minute ‘small’ was an independent 15th-century borrowing direct from Latin.

A French descendant of minūtus is the adjective menu ‘small’; its extended sense ‘detailed’ has led to its noun use for ‘list’, and the expression menu de repas ‘meal list’ has given English menu [19]. Other members of the extended family of English words that come ultimately from Latin min- include métier, mince, minim [15], minimum [17], minister, minor, minstrel, minuet [17], minus, minuscule [18], and minutia [15].
=> menu, métier, mince, minister, minor, minstrel, minus, minuscule

minute (n.)

"sixtieth part of an hour or degree," late 14c., from Old French minut (13c.) or directly from Medieval Latin minuta "minute, short note," from Latin minuta, noun use of fem. of minutus "small, minute" (see minute (adj.)). In Medieval Latin, pars minuta prima "first small part" was used by mathematician Ptolemy for one-sixtieth of a circle, later of an hour (next in order was secunda minuta, which became second (n.)). German Minute, Dutch minuut also are from French. Used vaguely for "short time" from late 14c. As a measure expressing distance (travel time) by 1886. Minute hand is attested from 1726.

minute (adj.)

early 15c., "chopped small," from Latin minutus "little, small, minute," past participle of minuere "to lessen, diminish" (see minus). Meaning "very small in size or degree" is attested from 1620s. Related: Minutely; minuteness.

1. The Liberal Democrat'ssupport fell away at the last minute.

自由民主黨的支持率在最后一刻有所下降。

來自柯林斯例句

2. The minute that the war started, everybody was glued to the television.

戰(zhàn)事一起，所有人都盯緊了電視報(bào)道。

來自柯林斯例句

3. He'd telephoned with some phoney excuse she didn't believe for a minute.

他找了某個(gè)她根本不會(huì)相信的借口給她打電話。

來自柯林斯例句

4. Any minute now, that phone is going to ring.

那部電話隨時(shí)可能響。

來自柯林斯例句

5. "Wait a damn minute," Mindy spat. "Nobody said anything about staying overnight."

“該死的，等一下”，明迪憤憤地說道，“誰也沒說過要過夜?！?/dd>

來自柯林斯例句