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. intant. 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.
⇒ The word in this sense is now used only in dates, to indicate the current month; as, the tenth of July instant.
© Webster 1913.
In"stant, adv.
Instantly.
[Poetic]
Instant he flew with hospitable haste.
Pope.
© Webster 1913.
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.
© Webster 1913.