Also 8–9 timeist. [-IST.]
† 1. One who follows or complies with the humor of the time; a time-server. Obs.
a. 1613. Overbury, Charac., Timist, Wks. (1856), 56. A Timist is a noune adjective of the present tense. He hath no more of a conscience then feare, and his religion is not his but the princes.
1620. Brathwait, Five Senses, iii. 33. The dissembling appearances of all obseruing Timists.
1658. J. Jones, Ovid’s Ibis, 162. So Timists and Hypocrites change their opinion.
† 2. A timepiece, clock. Obs. nonce-use.
1711. E. Ward, Vulgus Brit., v. 61. To bring the poor condemn’d Machine To th’ flaming Pile, and cast therein The costly Timist.
3. One who keeps correct time in music.
1765. Goldsm., Ess., Misc. Wks. 1837, I. 203. Neither the one or the other are, by any means, perfect timists.
1774. J. Collier, etc., Mus. Trav. (1775), 8. She introduced me to Mr. Dilettanti, a most illustrious timeist.
1866. Engel, Nat. Mus., ix. 339. The Chinese are known to be excellent timists, and they have several marks for indicating how the time is to be beaten.
4. One who confines his outlook to time, i.e., to the present life. rare.
1801. R. Cecil, Mem. J. Bacon, Wks. 1881, I. 203. Let the whole world be divided into two great sects, viz. Timists and Eternalists.
5. A chronologer. rare.
1897. S. J. Humphrey, in Chicago Advance, 23 Sept., 422/1. The next day (Tuesday, Apr. 25. A.D. 60, for so the timists calculate) they [Paul and his companions] came to Rhodes.
6. One of a sect of Adventists. U.S.
1884. Independent Almanac, 18. Only a small company [of Adventists], called ‘Timists,’ now venture to fix a definite time for the advent.
7. Cricket. One who ‘times’ (well or badly).
1893. W. L. Murdoch, Cricket, 30. I think Lord F—— B—— must have had all the attributes of a good timist … for … it is written of him … that he had a greater variety of hits than anyone else and they were all along the ground.
