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Brit. /
mi
nt
m/, U.S. /min
tam/ Forms: see MEAN adj.2 and TIME n. ; also 15 moyne time. [< MEAN adj.2 + TIME n., probably after Anglo-Norman en meyne temps (1327), en le mene temps (1328; compare Middle French en moien le temps (1360)). Compare MEANWHILE n. and adv.
The one-word form (first found in the 16th cent.) has become steadily more frequent since the mid 19th cent., and is now the standard form (although the two-word form is still sometimes met with in phrases, as in the mean time). Hyphenated forms are occasionally found from Middle English up to the mid 19th cent., but seem never to have been common.
The spelling moyne (in the isolated 16th-cent. form moyne time) probably represents a direct borrowing < Middle French moyen independent of MOYEN adj.]
A. n. The time intervening between one particular period or event and another; = MEANWHILE n. Chiefly in certain adverbial phrases.
1. in the meantime.
a. During or within the time intervening between a particular period or event and a subsequent one; while or until a (specified) period or event occurs; cf. sense B. 1. Also 
in (that, this, which, etc.) meantime. in the meantime of: during (obs.). Cf. in the mesne time at MESNE adj. 1a.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 36 Hi [
sc. hire bestes]
sterue
ine mene-time; do
ore ine hare stede ase moche
wor.
c1384 Bible (
Wycliffite, E.V.
)
(Douce 369(2)) 1 Macc. ix. 1 In the mene tyme [L.
interea].
1447 O. BOKENHAM Lives of Saints 652 In the mene tyme of hyr preyer, They rent hyr flesh on euery syde.
c1500 (?
a1475)
Assembly of Gods (1896) 946 In thys mene tyme whyle [etc.].
1502 in
Lett. Rich III & Hen. VII (Rolls) II. 108 In the moyne time he wold commune with the lord Nasso.
?1520 A. BARCLAY tr. Sallust
Cron. Warre agaynst Iugurth XXVI. f. 35, Wherfore (in meane tyme whyle they were counselling) he [etc.].
1526 W. B
ONDE Pylgrimage of Perfection I. sig. Dv
v, In the whiche meane tyme, nat one of them all miscaryed.
1575-6 in J. H. Burton
Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1878) 1st Ser. II. 479 Eftir the committing of the foirsaidis oppressionis in the menetyme of his being at the said Lord Regent complening thairupoun.
1638 H. SPELMAN Let. 28 Sept. in H. Ellis
Orig. Lett. Lit. Men (1843) 155 In the mean tyme you would applie your self to the antientest Authors.
1681 London Gaz. No. 1628/1, In the mean time, the Admiral who had been beaten off, filled and laid them Aboard the second time.
1706 Boston News-let. 1-8 July 4/2 In the mean time the remaining Forces are taking care to cover the Husbandry of all the Frontiers.
1740 tr. C. de Fieux
Fortunate Country Maid I. 110 In the mean time the People, surpris'd at what had happened, crowded to the Altar.
1804 W. CRUISE Digest Laws Eng. Real Property IV. 282 The uses..which only take place in the mean time, and until the appointment, such new uses precede them.
1849 T. B. M
ACAULAY Hist. Eng. I. iv. 467 In the meantime the king would be an object of aversion and suspicion to his people.
1885 O. WILDE Let. 14 Nov. in
More Lett. (1985) 59 Life is long and we will see each other often. In the meantime we can write.
1936 E. S. GARDNER Case of Sleepwalker's Niece x. 73 In the meantime I want to put in a telephone call. You hold the fort.
1988 M. SPARK Far Cry from Kensington i. 15 We thought..we would soon have to find another job. In the meantime we got on with the job we had.
b. In adversative or concessive use: nevertheless, still; on the other hand. Cf. sense B. 2. Obs.
1631 BP. J. HALL Occas. Medit. (ed. 2) §cxxvii, If ought hurt us, the fault is ours, in mis-taking the evill for good: in the meane time, wee owe praise to the maker.
1638 F. DU JON Painting of Ancients 82 Some who making a shew of..pastimes, doe in the meane time under that pretence entertaine..most dangerous plottes.
1809 S. SMITH Serm. II. 113 In the mean time, there are many habits of thought [etc.].
1843 A. BETHUNE Sc. Peasant's Fire-side 49 In the meantime, you know that my father [etc.].
2. Without preposition. (all) the (also this, that) meantime: = sense A. 1a. Obs.
a1382 Bible (
Wycliffite, E.V.
)
(Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xliii. 1 The mene tyme hunger all
e lond gretely beer doun.
1426-7 W. P
ASTON in
Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 10
e seyd William
at meene tyme euermore supposyng
at e seyd Walter wold have holde..
e sayd ordinaunce.
?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) 1745 Bot all
is meen tyme, nyghtes and dayes, Cuthbert for
air heele prayes.
c1480 (
a1400)
St. Mary Magdalen 986 in W. M. Metcalfe
Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 284
e mentyme
e magdelaine criste in his luf sa cane inflame,
at [etc.].
1597 BP. J. KING Lect. Jonas (1618) 533 To be iustified the meane-time, or hereafter to bee glorified and liue by them.
a1616 SHAKESPEARE Antony & Cleopatra (1623)
III. iv. 25 As you requested, Your selfe shall go between's, the meane time Lady, Ile raise the preparation of a Warre.
1700 R. BLACKMORE Paraphr. Job xxi. 91 While the mean time the Just and Godlike Kind, From Heav'n and Earth alike hard measure find.
3. for the meantime: so long as a period of (intervening) time lasts; for the interim. Occas. used predicatively: intended to serve for the interim, temporary.
1480 CAXTON Chron. Eng. ccxxxviii. 263 Whan he was yeue to ony occupacion he left al other thyng for the mene tyme and tendid therto.
1509 J. FISHER Mornynge Remembraunce Countesse of Rychemonde (de Worde) sig. Biv, Tho the rysynge of the body be delayed for a season, the soule neuertheles shal for the meane tyme haue a pleasaunt & a swete lyfe.
1721 C. CIBBER Refusal I. 10 Because in our haste some of our Cloaths and Bills of Exchaange were forgot, pridee be so graateful as to send us two Score Pounds, to put us into some Worship for the mean time.
1850 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Sept. 305/1 The moment I caught sight of Jacobs's broad hearty brown face..I took my cue for the meantime.
1897 Daily News 17 Feb. 3/2 This order was for the meantime.
1930 19th Cent. Dec. 713 Now, the drawback of this plan, from the Zionist point of view, is that it will prevent land purchase for the meantime and the growth of the Jewish ‘islands’ in the country.
1990 Mod. Railways Aug. 402/1 For the meantime he has a tremendous task, compounded by the managerial and organisational changes racking BR as it attempts to meld the Sectors and production.
B. adv.
1. During the intervening time between one particular period or event and another; while or until a particular event occurs; at the same time; for the present. Cf. sense A. 1a.
a1593 MARLOWE Edward II (1594) sig. E, Mean time my lord of Penbrooke and my selfe Will to Newcastell heere, and gather head.
1597 BP. J. KING Lect. Jonas (1618) 501 What auaileth it to abstaine from eating and drinking, if meane time we eate and deuour vp our brethren?
1598 SHAKESPEARE Loves Labours Lost II. i. 169 Meane time, receiue such welcome at my hand, As Honour..may Make tender of, to thy true worthinesse.
1632 P. HOLLAND tr. Xenophon
Cyrupædia 144 Meane time whiles they came togither, those foreriders who had skowred the plaines, brought with them certaine men.
1704 SWIFT Tale of Tub iv. 103 Mean time, his Affairs at home went upside down.
1782 F. BURNEY Cecilia III.
VI. viii. 303 Delvile, mean-time, evidently offended himself, conversed only with the gentlemen.
1824 R. SOUTHEY Ess. (1832) II. 201, I..trusted that, meantime, a kind and generous heart would resist the effect of fatal opinions.
1842 J. W. ORDERSON Creoleana viii. 76 The ladies, meantime, were on the
qui vive.
1879 J. MCCARTHY Hist. our Own Times II. 259 Meantime where was Lord Palmerston?
1938 Times 28 Apr. 12/5 Meantime, he announced that the principal of the Royal Academy of Music invites them to use the library of the academy, where the collected works are at disposal.
1968 E. BOWEN Eva Trout (1969)
II. iv. 297 Waiting unagitatedly, the preacher, meantime, shed on his people a smile of partly complicity, partly patience.
1999 BBC Top Gear Mag. June 15/4 Ferrari is readying a fully convertible version of the fab 360 Modena... Meantime, the 360 comes with a removable-panel sunshine roof option.
2. In adversative or concessive use: nevertheless, still; on the other hand. Cf. sense A. 1b. Obs.
1594 SHAKESPEARE Lucrece Ded. sig. A2, Were my worth greater, my duety would shew greater, meane time, as it is, it is bound to your Lordship.
1681 P. BELLON tr. F. de Monginot
New Myst. Physick 64 Mean time, it may be said in general, that part of those Rules [etc.].
C. adj. (attrib.). Provisional, temporary. rare.
1840 R. BROWNING Sordello II. 755 Praise and blame Of what he said grew pretty nigh the
same
Meantime awards to meantime acts.
1873 R. BROWNING Red Cotton Night-cap Country II. 88 The lost sheep's meantime amusements.
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