4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Instant  \In"stant\,  adv 
  Instantly.  [Poetic] 
 
  Instant  he  flew  with  hospitable  haste.  --Pope. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Instant  \In"stant\,  n.  [F.  instant,  fr  L.  instans  standing  by 
  being  near  present.  See  {Instant},  a.] 
  1.  A  point  in  duration;  a  moment;  a  portion  of  time  too  short 
  to  be  estimated;  also  any  particular  moment. 
 
  There  is  scarce  an  instant  between  their  flourishing 
  and  their  not  being  --Hooker. 
 
  2.  A  day  of  the  present  or  current  month;  as  the  sixth 
  instant;  --  an  elliptical  expression  equivalent  to  the 
  sixth  of  the  month  instant,  i.  e.,  the  current  month.  See 
  {Instant},  a.,  3. 
 
  Syn:  Moment;  flash;  second 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Instant  \In"stant\,  a.  [L.  instans,  -antis,  p.  pr  of  instare  to 
  stand  upon  to  press  upon  pref.  in-  in  on  +  stare  to  stand: 
  cf  F.  in?tant.  See  {Stand}.] 
  1.  Pressing;  urgent;  importunate;  earnest. 
 
  Rejoicing  in  hope;  patient  in  tribulation; 
  continuing  instant  in  prayer.  --Rom.  xii. 
  12. 
 
  I  am  beginning  to  be  very  instant  for  some  sort  of 
  occupation.  --Carlyle. 
 
  2.  Closely  pressing  or  impending  in  respect  to  time;  not 
  deferred;  immediate;  without  delay. 
 
  Impending  death  is  thine,  and  instant  doom.  --Prior. 
 
  3.  Present;  current. 
 
  The  instant  time  is  always  the  fittest  time. 
  --Fuller. 
 
  Note:  The  word  in  this  sense  is  now  used  only  in  dates,  to 
  indicate  the  current  month;  as  the  tenth  of  July 
  instant. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  instant 
  adj  1:  occurring  with  no  delay;  "relief  was  instantaneous"; 
  "instant  gratification"  [syn:  {instantaneous},  {instant(a)}] 
  2:  in  or  of  the  present  month;  "your  letter  of  the  10th  inst" 
  [syn:  {inst}] 
  3:  demanding  attention;  "clamant  needs";  "a  crying  need"; 
  "regarded  literary  questions  as  exigent  and  momentous"- 
  H.L.Mencken;  "insistent  hunger";  "an  instant  need"  [syn:  {clamant}, 
  {crying},  {exigent},  {insistent}] 
  n  1:  a  very  short  time;  "if  I  had  the  chance  I'd  do  it  in  a 
  flash"  [syn:  {blink  of  an  eye},  {flash},  {jiffy},  {split 
  second},  {trice},  {twinkling},  {wink},  {New  York  minute}] 
  2:  a  particular  point  in  time;  "the  moment  he  arrived  the  party 
  began"  [syn:  {moment},  {minute},  {second}] 

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