deadtime

English

Alternative forms

• dead time

Etymology

dead +‎ time

Pronunciation

• enPR: dĕdʹtīm, IPA^(key): /ˈdɛdtaɪm/

Noun

deadtime (countable and uncountable, plural deadtimes)

1. The time between a change in a signal and the response to that change.
2. The time, after an event, during which a system cannot respond to a second event.
3. (uncountable, slang) The serving of a prison sentence.
   • 1994, Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr, Steven E. de Souza, Beverly Hills Cop III, spoken by Steve Fulbright (Stephen McHattie):

     And I'll tell you something else, if you weren't a cop, I'd have you doin’ dead-time at Leavenworth, for life!

Further reading

• Jonathon Green (2024) “dead time n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Anagrams

• mediated