dead time
Unproductive waiting period
Dead time is an interval when a system or process is inactive or unresponsive.
In physics and engineering, it's the period after a detector registers an event during which it cannot detect another: The Geiger counter's dead time caused it to miss some radiation pulses.
More broadly, dead time is any unproductive gap—waiting between tasks, equipment cooling down, or delays in a process where nothing useful happens.
Without activity or purpose
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- lullTemporary period of quiet
- slackAbsence of tautness
- off-peakOutside busiest hours
pause · intermission · break · recess · hiatus · standstill · gap · interlude
Ordered waiting line
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
- intervalDuration between two points
- standbyReady substitute awaiting use
suspense · loitering · limbo · twiddling thumbs · holding · on hold · in-between · transition
Used without good result
- lagPeriod of falling behind
- delayEnforced waiting period
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
- underutilizedInsufficiently put to work
redundant · nonproductive · overhead · latency · turnaround · changeover · throughput · buffer
Adjusting for measurement accuracy
- detectorDevice that senses
- measurementDetermining size or amount
- pulseArterial blood throb
- recoveryRegaining what was lost
reset · sensor · radiation · counting · Geiger counter · paralysis · coincidence · nuclear
idle
Without activity or purpose
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- lullTemporary period of quiet
- slackAbsence of tautness
off-peak · pause · intermission · break · recess · hiatus · standstill · gap · interlude · respite
queue
Ordered waiting line
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
- intervalDuration between two points
standby · suspense · loitering · limbo · twiddling thumbs · holding · on hold · in-between · transition
wasted
Used without good result
- lagPeriod of falling behind
- delayEnforced waiting period
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
underutilized · redundant · nonproductive · overhead · latency · turnaround · changeover · throughput · buffer
calibration
Adjusting for measurement accuracy
- detectorDevice that senses
- measurementDetermining size or amount
- pulseArterial blood throb
recovery · reset · sensor · radiation · counting · Geiger counter · paralysis · coincidence · nuclear · spectroscopy
- downtimebreak, breaks, nap, rest, relaxation
- off-peakoff-hours, off-season, low season, off-peak fare, shoulder season
- chromatographychromatography, chromatogram, TLC, SEC, columns
- fuel injectionfuel injector, direct injection, injector, fuel pump, fuel filter
- breaksbreak, crack, pause, fracture, shatter
dead timeresponse time
Interval before reacting
uptime · run time · sensitive period · processing time · real-time