jiffy

jiffy
   1. a unit of time used in computer engineering. A jiffy is the length of one cycle, or tick, of the computer's system clock. In the past, this was often equal to one period of the alternating current powering the computer: 1/60 second in the U.S. and Canada, usually 1/50 second elsewhere. More recently the jiffy has become standardized, more or less, as 0.01 second (10 milliseconds). The word jiffy, with its ordinary meaning of an instant or very brief time, appeared in English during the eighteenth century, but its origin is not known.
   2. a unit of time used in chemistry and physics, equal to a "light centimeter," that is, the time required for light to travel a distance of one centimeter. This is a very brief interval indeed, about 33.3564 picoseconds. This definition of the jiffy was proposed by the American physical chemist Gilbert N. Lewis (1875-1946), who was one of the first to apply principles of quantum physics in chemistry. More recently, some physicists have defined the jiffy as the time required for light to travel a distance of one femtometer (fermi); this would make the jiffy equal to 3.335 64 zeptoseconds.

Dictionary of units of measurement. 2015.

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  • Jiffy — can refer to:* Jiffy (time), one of several different very short periods of time * Jiffy pots; biodegradable plant pots * JIFFY , a line of baking mixes manufactured by the Chelsea Milling Company * Sealed Air Corporation, a packaging company… …   Wikipedia

  • "JIFFY" — is a brand of baking mixes marketed by the Chelsea Milling Company in Chelsea, Michigan, that has been producing mixes since 1930. They are known for the products being packaged in a small, blue box. JIFFY was created as the first prepared baking …   Wikipedia

  • Jiffy — Jif fy, n. [Perh. corrupt. fr. gliff.] [Written also {giffy}.] A moment; an instant; as, I will be ready in a jiffy. [Colloq.] J. & H. Smith. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Jiffy™ — UK US /ˈdʒɪfi/ noun [C] (also Jiffy bag) TRADEMARK ► a thick envelope that protects things that are easily damaged when they are sent in the mail → Compare PADDED ENVELOPE(Cf. ↑padded envelope) …   Financial and business terms

  • jiffy — [jif′ē] n. pl. jiffies [18th c. slang < ?] Informal a very short time; instant [done in a jiffy]: also jiff …   English World dictionary

  • jiffy — (n.) 1785, a moment, an instant, colloquial, origin unknown; said to be originally thieves slang for lightning …   Etymology dictionary

  • jiffy — *instant, moment, minute, second, flash, twinkling, split second …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • jiffy — [n] instant breath, crack, flash, jiff*, minute, moment, second, shake*, split second*, trice, twinkling*; concept 808 …   New thesaurus

  • jiffy — (also jiff) ► NOUN informal ▪ a moment. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • Jiffy — Ein Jiffy bezeichnet im englischen ein kurzes, häufig nicht näher spezifiziertes Zeitintervall (ähnlich dem deutschen „Augenblick“ oder „Moment“). Es wird vermutet, dass der Begriff aus dem kriminellen Slang des 18. Jahrhunderts stammt.[1] In… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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