timing

noun

1. (countable, obsolete)An occurrence or event.
2. (countable, uncountable)The regulation of the pace of e.g. an athletic race, the speed of an engine, the delivery of a joke, or the occurrence of a series of events.

   “The key to telling a good joke is timing.”

   “The officials used the latest technology to ensure timing down to the nearest millisecond.”

   “The S.D.R. [Somerset & Dorset Railway] could not adhere to this schedule, and had to decelerate the service, but the original timings were restored when the M.R. and L.S.W.R. leased the S.D.R.”

   “Smoking was difficult, I had to have perfect timing, sticking my head as far out the tiny porthole as I could, and timing my puffs to the inhalings and exhalings of the ship.”

3. (countable, uncountable)The time when something happens.

   “perfect timing”

   “The timing of the announcement is related to this months's board meeting.”

4. (uncountable)The synchronization of the firing of the spark plugs in an internal combustion engine.
5. (countable)An instance of recording the time of something.

verb

1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present)present participle and gerund of time