instant
part of speech
adjective (instant); noun (an instant, instants)
meaning for a pupil
1) Happening at once, with no wait: «an instant reply». tree →
2) (of food or drink) Made very quickly, usually by adding hot water: «instant noodles». tree →
3) (noun) A very short moment: «For an instant, nobody moved». tree →
4) (the instant) As soon as: «Call me the instant you arrive». tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It means a moment. In Jeremiah God says that at any moment he may speak of building up or of tearing down a nation. Interpretation: Tradition reads Jeremiah as teaching that God's decrees can change if people repent, which is why the prophets called people to return to God. In the primary lessons: In everyday life: instant noodles, instant coffee, instant messaging, an instant camera. In stories «in an instant» or «for an instant» shows something happened very fast or for a moment. Phrases: «in an instant», «at that instant», «the instant (that)», «instant replay». Adverb: instantly.
examples
- And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; (Prophets JER.18.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; (Prophets JER.18.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. (Prophets ISA.30.13, JPS 1917) tree →
- The magic potion had an instant effect. tree →
- We had instant noodles for lunch. tree →
- In an instant, the lights went out. tree →
- Come here this instant! tree →
- Call me the instant the cake is ready. tree →
- The film was an instant success. tree →
- For an instant, I thought I saw a ghost. tree →
- In an instant he was there. tree →
note
«An instant» (vowel sound). Adverb: instantly. Do not confuse with «instance» (an example: «for instance»). «This instant» means right now, often in a strict command.
In the corpora
- And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
- I demand an instant explanation.»
- The Badger: «He must never be left an instant unguarded … till the poison has worked itself out of his system».
- Instant coffee is coffee liquid that was dried; ground coffee does not fully dissolve, so it needs a filter.
- Power tools such as drills, saws and hedge trimmers cut and crush in an instant.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «instant» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.