meantime

• mean time

From Middle English menetime, equivalent to mean +‎ time. Adverb is by ellipsis from in the meantime.

• enPR: mēnʹtīm, IPA^(key): /ˈmiːntaɪm/

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meantime (countable and uncountable, plural meantimes)

1. The time spent waiting for another event; time in between.

   We'll come back asap; just wait here for the meantime.

• between-time, meanwhile; see also Thesaurus:interim

• meanwhile

meantime (not comparable)

1. During the interval; meanwhile.

   Repairs will be done tomorrow so meantime restrain from using the bath.

   • 1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress:

     Meantime Pope Urban II convoked two councils, one after another.

   • 1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, Bantam edition, published 1992, →ISBN, page 97:

     Lunch will be in twenty minutes. Meantime: I have […]

   • 1951 May, J. Pelham Maitland, “A Memorable Run by a Brighton "Terrier"”, in Railway Magazine, page 347:

     Meantime, the train went on to Brighton without further incident. No small stir was caused by its arrival with No. 61 at its head, resplendent with "East London Line Special" head boards, which at once caught the eye of William Stroudley, who was observing the traffic working from his office window.

Usually appears sentence-initially.

• antimeme