minute hand: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumNeutral (used in both technical and everyday contexts)
Quick answer
What does “minute hand” mean?
The longer of the two primary hands on a clock or watch, indicating the minutes past the hour.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The longer of the two primary hands on a clock or watch, indicating the minutes past the hour.
The primary time-indicating component on an analog timepiece that completes one full revolution every 60 minutes, pointing directly to the current minute on the dial.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both dialects use the same term.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Identical, though the term may be slightly less frequent in everyday use due to the prevalence of digital displays.
Grammar
How to Use “minute hand” in a Sentence
The minute hand + verb (points, moves, indicates)Noun (clock, watch) + 's + minute handVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In scheduling or time-management discussions referencing analog clocks.
Academic
In physics or engineering contexts discussing mechanisms of timekeeping.
Everyday
When teaching time or describing an analog clock/watch.
Technical
In horology (the study of timekeeping), describing watch/clock components.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “minute hand”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “minute hand”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “minute hand”
- Mispronouncing 'minute' as /maɪˈnjuːt/ (meaning 'tiny').
- Calling it the 'big hand' or 'little hand' (imprecise, though common in teaching children).
- Confusing it with the 'second hand'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a compound noun, written as two separate words.
It is pronounced /ˈmɪnɪt/, with stress on the first syllable, unlike the adjective 'minute' (meaning very small) which is /maɪˈnjuːt/.
The minute hand is longer and completes one full circle of the clock face every 60 minutes. The hour hand is shorter and completes one full circle every 12 hours.
No, the term is specific to analog clocks and watches which have physical moving hands. Digital displays show numbers and do not have hands.
The longer of the two primary hands on a clock or watch, indicating the minutes past the hour.
Minute hand is usually neutral (used in both technical and everyday contexts) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Watch the minute hand creep (indicating slow passage of time)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember: MINute hand tells you the MINutes. It's the longer one, so it has a longer word (minute has more letters than hour).
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS SPACE (the hand 'points' to a location on the circular 'path' of the dial).
Practice
Quiz
What does the minute hand indicate on a standard clock?