Glossary of Time
Category: Resources | Definitions from A to Z
- Atomic Clock:
- A clock that uses the transitions of electrons in atoms (usually Cesium or Rubidium) to measure time with extreme precision.
- Chronometry:
- The science of the measurement of time.
- Daylight Saving Time (DST):
- The practice of advancing clocks during warmer months so that darkness falls later each day according to the clock.
- Epoch:
- An arbitrary fixed date or point in time from which a system of years or timing is reckoned.
- Escapement:
- The device in a mechanical clock that controls the release of energy and regulates the "ticks" of the gears.
- Horology:
- The study and measurement of time; the art of making clocks and watches.
- Interval:
- The amount of time between two events.
- Leap Second:
- A one-second adjustment made to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to keep it in sync with the Earth's rotation.
- Sidereal Time:
- Time measured by the rotation of the Earth relative to distant stars, rather than the sun.
- Unix Timestamp:
- The number of seconds that have elapsed since the Unix Epoch (January 1, 1970).
- UTC (Coordinated Universal Time):
- The primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time.