All 50 Uses of
minute
in
To Kill a Mockingbird
- It was the kind of box wedding rings came in, purple velvet with a minute catch.
p. 46..3 (definition 1) *minute = tiny
- She called us by all our names, and when she grinned she revealed two minute gold prongs clipped to her eyeteeth.
p. 57..1 (definition 1)minute = very small
- [T]his case ... requires no minute sifting of complicated facts,
p. 271..5 (definition 2) *minute = detailed
Uses with a very common or rare meaning:
- "Lemme think a minute… it's sort of like making a turtle come out…"†
p. 17..9 (definition 3)
- Sure that's all, now? I don't want you hollerin' something different the minute I get back.†
p. 18..5 (definition 3)
- Jem's free dispensation of my pledge irked me, but precious noontime minutes were ticking away.†
p. 31..2 (definition 3)
- As the year passed, released from school thirty minutes before Jem, who had to stay until three o'clock, I ran by the Radley Place as fast as I could, not stopping until I reached the safety of our front porch.†
p. 44..2 (definition 3)
- "Hush a minute, I'm thinkin'."†
p. 46..5 (definition 3)
- With this thought in mind, I made perhaps one step per minute.†
p. 69..9 (definition 3)
- "Just a minute, Miss Rachel," he said.†
p. 73..7 (definition 3)
- "Please," I pleaded, "can'tcha just think about it for a minute— by yourself on that place-"†
p. 75..8 (definition 3)
- When the new wore off his grandfather's watch, and carrying it became a day's burdensome task, Jem no longer felt the necessity of ascertaining the hour every five minutes.†
p. 81..8 (definition 3)
- Minutes later, it seemed, I was awakened by someone shaking me.†
p. 91..6 (definition 3)
- When Uncle Jack caught me, he kept me laughing about a preacher who hated going to church so much that every day he stood at his gate in his dressing-gown, smoking a hookah and delivering five-minute sermons to any passers-by who desired spiritual comfort.†
p. 104..3 (definition 3)
- I don't know what you're talkin' about, but you better cut it out this red hot minute!†
p. 110..7 (definition 3)
- I had sat there perhaps five minutes when I heard Aunt Alexandra speak: "Where's Francis?†
p. 111..1 (definition 3)
- "Cal," said Jem, "can you come down the sidewalk a minute?"†
p. 122..8 (definition 3)
- Let's wait a minute.†
p. 125..4 (definition 3)
- … 'n' all of a sudden he just relaxed all over, an' it looked like that gun was a part of him… an' he did it so quick, like… I hafta aim for ten minutes 'fore I can hit somethin'…."†
p. 129..6 (definition 3)
- At the time, however, I thought the only explanation for what he did was that for a few minutes he simply went mad.†
p. 136..9 (definition 3)
- Jem read for perhaps twenty minutes, during which time I looked at the soot-stained mantelpiece, out the window, anywhere to keep from looking at her.†
p. 142..6 (definition 3)
- A minute later, nerves still tingling, Jem and I were on the sidewalk headed for home.†
p. 143..3 (definition 3)
- Exactly fourteen minutes past five.†
p. 145..5 (definition 3)
- It suddenly came to me that each day we had been staying a little longer at Mrs. Dubose's, that the alarm clock went off a few minutes later every day, and that she was well into one of her fits by the time it sounded.†
p. 145..6 (definition 3)
- She died a few minutes ago.†
p. 147..6 (definition 3)
- "Hush baby," she whispered, "you'll see in a minute."†
p. 161..2 (definition 3)
- He nearly slammed it, but caught himself at the last minute and closed it softly.†
p. 179..4 (definition 3)
- As we grew older, Jem and I thought it generous to allow Atticus thirty minutes to himself after supper.†
p. 180..9 (definition 3)
- Hold on a minute.†
p. 185..9 (definition 3)
- "Atticus," his voice was distant, "can you come here a minute, sir?"†
p. 188..1 (definition 3)
- Dill's face appeared at the screen, disappeared, and five minutes later he unhooked the screen and crawled out.†
p. 199..7 (definition 3)
- Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children… you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute.†
p. 210..9 (definition 3)
- "Whoa now, just a minute," said a club member, holding up his walking stick.†
p. 218..7 (definition 3)
- There was already bruises comin' on her arms, and it happened about thirty minutes before-"†
p. 224..9 (definition 3)
- "Wait a minute, Sheriff," said Atticus.†
p. 225..3 (definition 3)
- So serene was Judge Taylor's court, that he had few occasions to use his gavel, but he hammered fully five minutes.†
p. 231..5 (definition 3)
- "Just a minute, sir," said Atticus genially.†
p. 234..4 (definition 3)
- He went to the court reporter, said something, and the reporter entertained us for some minutes by reading Mr. Tate's testimony as if it were stock-market quotations: "…which eye her left oh yes that'd make it her right it was her right eye Mr. Finch I remember now she was bunged."†
p. 235..8 (definition 3)
- We'll take ten minutes.†
p. 252..3 (definition 3)
- I was studyin' why, just passin' by, when she says for me to come there and help her a minute.†
p. 258..1 (definition 3)
- He's been at it 'bout five minutes.†
p. 270..5 (definition 3)
- The jury might be out and back in a minute, we don't know-" but we could tell Atticus was relenting.†
p. 277..2 (definition 3)
- 'bout thirty minutes.†
p. 279..1 (definition 3)
- Well, from the way you put it, it'd just take five minutes.†
p. 281..3 (definition 3)
- I expected Mr. Tate to say any minute, "Take him, Mr. Finch…."†
p. 281..9 (definition 3)
- Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute.†
p. 292..9 (definition 3)
- An inevitable verdict, maybe, but usually it takes 'em just a few minutes.†
p. 297..7 (definition 3)
- One minute they're tryin' to kill him and the next they're tryin' to turn him loose… I'll never understand those folks as long as I live.†
p. 298..1 (definition 3)
- It took a few minutes to work the candy into a comfortable wad inside my jaw.†
p. 301..6 (definition 3)
- Alexandra, could you come to the kitchen a minute? I want to borrow Calpurnia for a while.†
p. 314..8 (definition 3)
Definitions:
-
(1) (minute as in: minute size) small, exceptionally small, or insignificant
-
(2) (minute as in: minute description) detailed (including even small considerations); and/or careful (done with care)
-
(3) (meaning too common or rare to warrant focus) Much more commonly, minute and minutes refer to a period of time lasting 60 seconds.
Less commonly, they refer to a measurement of angle where 60 minutes make up a single degree, and where a right angle has 90 degrees and a circle has 360 degrees.