detention time

noun

The amount of time that water is retained in a basin or vessel, or the elapsed time of the water entering a settling basin until it flows out the other end.

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Meanings

noundetention time (countable and uncountable, plural detention times)

plural detention times

  1. countableuncountablegeographyThe amount of time that water is retained in a basin or vessel, or the elapsed time of the water entering a settling basin until it flows out the other end.
  2. countableuncountableautomotiveThe total amount of time that a truck and its driver must wait at a shipping or receiving facility to load or unload their truck beyond the scheduled appointment time.
Cite this entry
APA

detention time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detention%20time

MLA

“detention time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detention%20time. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “detention time,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detention%20time.

Source: detention time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.