kill time

kill time

To engage in an activity, usually a rather aimless or idle one, with the goal of making time seem to pass more quickly or less slowly. I'm going to walk down to the bookstore to kill time before my flight. Do you want anything? It used to be that people killed time at the train station by talking to each other, but now everyone is nose-deep in their phone.
See also: kill, time
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

kill time

Fig. to use something up, especially time. I killed time reading a novel. The employees were not encouraged to kill time.
See also: kill, time
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

kill time

Pass time aimlessly. For example, There was nothing to do, so I sat around killing time until dinner was ready. This idiom was first recorded about 1768.
See also: kill, time
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

kill time

do things to make time seem to pass more quickly and to avoid getting bored, especially while waiting for something.
See also: kill, time
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

kill ˈtime, a couple of ˈhours, etc.

,

have ˈtime, a couple of ˈhours, etc. to kill

do something to help pass the time while you are waiting for something: ‘What did you do at the airport when your plane was late?’ ‘We killed time by playing cards and doing crosswords.’ I had two hours to kill before the train left, so I went to see a movie.
See also: couple, kill, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

kill time, to

To make time pass by performing some unessential activity. The term dates from the early 1700s. Leslie Stephen had it in Hours in the Library (1874), “Tapestry, in which ladies employed their needles by way of killing time.” In a theater review in the Boston Globe (Feb. 1, 2005), Ed Siegel wrote, “As Josh and Sal . . . kill time in a hospital waiting room, nervous about whether a third friend is going to survive a drug overdose.”
See also: kill
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • kill time, to
  • kill
  • kill (an amount of time)
  • kill time, a couple of hours, etc.
  • play around
  • amble along
  • noodle about (something)
  • run in circles
References in periodicals archive
Introducing Americans to the idea of using the phone to entertain, kill time and otherwise express themselves has been the general advertising theme.
The art of killing time online
California [United States], Jan 20 ( ANI ): Google has plenty of hidden Easter eggs to help you kill time on the internet.
This hidden YouTube Easter dog will make your day
Our wipes are different than other products due to its expanded two minute kill time list.
DEFEND+PLUS Wipes
The new wipes are low-alcohol surface disinfectant/cleaner wipes (hat offer materials compatibility with a kill time of one-minute.
CaviWipes1 next generation disinfectant wipe
HYPE-WIPE [R] bleach towelettes have a one-minute kill time for Hepatitis B and C, TB, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Norovirus, RSV, H1N1, ESBL, CRKP, Rotavirus; a two-minute kill time for MRSA, Staph and VRE.
One-minute kill times for Hepatitis B and C
Five miles south of the track is Barry, known for its docks but working hard to add leisure to its repertoire - the beach is sandy, and if you're really desperate to kill time before racing you can see what's occurring on an official Gavin & Stacey Tour run by Dave's Coaches.
Packing in the crowds at track where the going is always lush
YOU can cut the cost of travelling to far-flung climes dramatically if you're willing to kill time at an airport with a good book or an iPod.
CUT THE COST OF FLYING
CLUES LEFT BEHIND A suspected armed robber completed a job application to kill time while he waited for customers to leave a convenience store, US police said.
5 minute NATIONAL news round-up: IT'S A MAD, MAD WORLD..
You ask if he's got anything cool in mind to kill time. He says he wants to ...
Make it last ... or break up fast?
Health-Tec[TM] Hospital-Level Surface Disinfectant from Premier Marketing, Inc., is an alcohol-free, nonflammable product that has a universal kill time of 10 minutes or less on TB, HBV, HIV, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and E.
Hard-surface disinfectant. (Product Focus: Safety)
Artists working here may use both spaces, but in either case they can expect that a lot of their viewers will be here not to visit an art destination but to eat a sandwich, read the paper, or just kill time.
JEANNE SILVERTHORNE
As frothy as cappuccino, the lack of substance makes for a painless way to kill time.RATING 7
No-one gets the girl in froth plot; BILL'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS (15)
Leading by 29 points in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, the Cavs' starting unit was already resting on the bench and decided to kill time by playing the water bottle flip challenge, while there was live action happening on the court.
WATCH: Cavs do 'water bottle flip challenge' during blowout game
Bleach-Rite[R] Spray has been approved to kill these pathogens: 30 second kill time for VRE, Streptococcus; one-minute kill time for MRSA, Hepatitis, Carbapenemresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), H1N1, Influenza A, Norovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Escherichia coli (ESBL), Acinetobacter baumannii, Rhinovirus, Aspergillus, Enterobacter, HIV, Rotavirus, Coronavirus (SARS), Herpes Simplex, Poliovirus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Athlete's Foot Fungus; two-minute kill time for TB (tuberculosis); four-minute kill time for C.
Bleach-Rite[R] Spray