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I want to be able to say 'After the process has begun, there are these time waypoints of 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 70 seconds from the start where I want this action to be performed.'

I suppose I could say milestones, or times. But I was rather hoping for something better than this. I can't use the term events because in the context I'm in that's already a reserved word.

There was another question I found already that was sort of like this, but I couldn't find the answer I wanted and it is now closed. Yet another question concerned a word for a time period, or interval, but I want a word for a marker from an absolute point in time (zero) rather than a relative distance.

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  • t+n? "You can start at t+30 or at t+70"
    – Kris
    Nov 28, 2013 at 12:23
  • 1
    erm, timepoint
    – Phil Sweet
    Feb 27, 2020 at 11:42

3 Answers 3

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Instant, also moment

TFD

2. a particular moment or point in time at the same instant (from Collins Eng.Dict.)

It may be clearer to say 'point on timeline,' though. That expression is already popular.

  • … State Change at certain point on timeline
  • I needed to make “baby arrives” a bigger focal point on timeline :)
  • … determine starting point on timeline
  • Jump to Next 'Interesting Point' on timeline
  • Previewing audio, without losing point on timeline
  • Move to different point on timeline
  • How to position playhead to specific point on timeline.
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    Keeping the phrasing of the question largely intact, Instant could be used like so: "After the process has begun, there are several instants when I want this action to be performed: start + 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 70 seconds."
    – Chris Betti
    Feb 26, 2020 at 15:46
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I think the word you need is checkpoint.

Its found use in the past few years in the area of Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency. Within the Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency usage, it represents a fixed point in time on the blockchain, at which time certain assumptions can be made that hold true forever.

https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1797/what-are-checkpoints

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I believe that you can use epoch.

From Google,

epoch: a particular period of time in history or a person's life; the beginning of a period in the history of someone or something.

or, as you might be interested (Source):

a : an event or a time marked by an event that begins a new period or development

b : a memorable event or date

Given that the context is computer programming, this term is particularly well-suited. I've seen it used in some open-source projects.

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  • Note the OP's criterion: "Yet another question concerned a word for a time period, or interval, but I want a word for a marker from an absolute point in time (zero)"
    – Kris
    Nov 28, 2013 at 12:08
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    @Kris, I'm sure if I understand the word wrong, but according to the usage I usually found in computer program, it is usually used for specifying a point in time, mostly 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970.
    – Damkerng T.
    Nov 28, 2013 at 12:16
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    Here is what I found from thefreedictionary.com/epoch, epoch: 1. a point in time beginning a new or distinctive period.
    – Damkerng T.
    Nov 28, 2013 at 12:17
  • Epoch is always used in reference to a significant period of time, usually the time period itself, sometimes the beginning of that period (when such a beginning is far more significant than the period itself.)
    – Kris
    Nov 28, 2013 at 12:21
  • @Kris, (Note: I don't want to stir things up, just want to clear up my thoughts) What do you think if in the OP's example, I named the time at 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 70 seconds, as Epoch 1, Epoch 2, and Epoch 3, in that order. I believe that it's fine to use these Epochs to refer to both exact point in time and the period from its start time to the next Epoch.
    – Damkerng T.
    Nov 28, 2013 at 12:27

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