From Middle English moment, from Old French moment, from Latin mōmentum.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈməʊmənt/
• (America) IPA: /ˈmoʊmənt/

moment

1. A particular point, or relatively small region, either of space (a "spot") or of time (an "instant").
   • 1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread , chapter 7, third paragraph:

     ...over everything there lay a deposit of heavy white dust, which was only blown off one moment to thicken on another.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:

     Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

   • 1976, Richard Duprey, Duel on the Wind , part 4, chapter 1:

     "You know, we all have our own lives to live. Now and then we get confused, we become weak and vulnerable. We have to look around for help. Sometimes we get lucky and there's someone who loves us to support us, to help us along. We have a right, being human, to those moments of weakness. We have a right to get confused and ask for help. [...] But hen that help is offered and accepted, we don't have a right to remain confused forever, to keep those who help us standing by in a kind of limbo..."

2. A brief, unspecified amount of time.

   Synonyms: stound, instant, trice

   Wait a moment, while I lock the front door.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗:

     Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, […] , and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 6, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC ↗:

     Sophia broke down here. Even at this moment she was subconsciously comparing her rendering of the part of the forlorn bride with Miss Marie Lohr's.

3. (figurative) Weight or importance.
   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene vii], line 67:

     In deep designs, in matter of great moment, / No less importing than our general good.

   • 1726 October 27, [Jonathan Swift], “A Great Storm Described, the Long-Boat Sent to Fetch Water, the Author Goes with It to Discover the Country. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver's Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC ↗, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page [176] ↗:

     However, upon a ſtrict Review, I blotted out ſeveral Paſſages of leſs Moment which were in my firſt Copy, for fear of being cenſured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps not without Juſtice, accuſed.

4. (physics, mechanics) Ellipsis of moment of force

   Synonyms: torque

5. (historical, unit) A definite period of time, specifically one-tenth of a point, or one-fortieth or one-fiftieth of an hour.
6. (neurology, informal) A petit mal episode; such a spell.
7. (colloquial) A fit; a brief tantrum.
8. (math) An infinitesimal change in a varying quantity; an increment or decrement.
9. (math) A quantitative measure of the shape of a set of points.

   If the points represent mass, then the zeroth moment is the total mass, the first moment divided by the total mass is the center of mass, and the second moment is the rotational inertia.

10. (Internet slang, derogatory, usually, preceded by a noun) An embarrassing event, supposed to be characteristic of some person, group, or situation.

    woman moment

    Reddit moment

• French: instant, moment
• German: Augenblick, Moment, Zeitpunkt
• Italian: momento, attimo
• Portuguese: instante, momento
• Russian: моме́нт
• Spanish: momento, ratito, instante

• German: Zeitpunkt, Moment

• French: moment
• German: Moment
• Portuguese: momento
• Russian: момент сила
• Spanish: momento

1. Surname.