time trialn.
/ˈtʌɪm ˌtrʌɪəl/, U.S. /ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪəl/ 1. Sport. A test of a competitor's individual speed over a set distance, esp. (chiefly Cycling) a race in which competitors are separately timed over the same course.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > [noun] > types of race
quarter-mile1611
dead1635
diaulos1706
quarter1779
dead heat1796
match race1804
dash1836
sprint race1836
mile1851
road race1852
time trial1857
decider1858
all-ages1864
rough-up1864
hippodrome1867
distance running1868
team race1869
run-off1873
relay race1878
walk-away1879
title race1905
tortoise race1913
procession1937
stage1943
pace1968
prologue1973
1857 H. W. Herbert Frank Forester's Horse & Horsemanship I. 369 The other recorded time-trials of Flying Childers..are not so marvellous or so far beyond the reach of modern racers.
1861 Era 24 Mar. 14/2 The Cambridge crew had another spin down from Mortlake by themselves, and from the fact that a time trial was in progress, it caused great excitement in the neighbourhood.
1897 A. C. Pemberton Compl. Cyclist xi. 285 Road races and time trials should not be countenanced for a less distance than such as the Land's End to John o' Groat's course.
1939 Cycling 31 May 763/2 The North Road C.C. instituted the sport of road time trials..44 years ago.
1976 Sc. Daily Express 24 Dec. 13/6 Ten days ago an unknown sprinter ran an impressive time-trial against local man Jim Smith.
2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 26 Sept. c16/4 A stage racer will rely on his strength in the time trials, the high mountains and his ability to recover to defeat his rivals.
2. An exercise designed to measure the time needed for an activity or process, esp. for the purposes of comparison between a number of options.
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1862 J. C. Morton Arthur Young's Farmer's Cal. 370 Nine of them [sc. reaping machines] were selected for time trials on a portion of the field where the crop was less broken down by the weather.
1882 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 2 485 The decreasing scale of the loads to be applied in the time trials.
1934 Jrnl. Educ. Res. 28 288 These items were selected from a larger number on the basis of carefully controlled time trials.
2008 G. M. Watts Norwich Firefighting ii. 50 Chief Howard L. Stanton conducted a time trial using a simulated fire on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Elizabeth Streets.
Derivatives
ˈtime ˌtrialling n. Sport (chiefly Cycling) the action of competing in or undertaking a time trial.
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1953 R. C. Shaw Teach yourself Cycling xviii. 152 By that time..it was thought by many people interested in time trialling that the term ‘road racing’ was inappropriate.
1977 J. Henderson Jog, run, Race xxv. 149 Milers, cut down somewhat on your distance running. Do more racing or time-trailing.
2005 Cycling Plus Apr. 56/1 For time trialling it′s all about riding fast and this can only be achieved by making yourself as aerodynamic as possible.
ˈtime ˌtrialist n. Sport a competitor in a time trial; spec. a cyclist who specializes in time trials.
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1939 Cycling 11 Jan. 54/1 (heading) Time triallist who must dine!
1949 N.Y. Times 27 Mar. s8/2 Cohan extended a warm welcome to speedboat time-trialists.
1991 Bicycle Guide Sept. 63/1 The biggest current users of high-performance rims and tires this size are time trialists.
2002 M. Rendell Kings of Mountains (2003) ix. 163 Martín Ramírez, a brilliant time triallist and stage racer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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