English

kill-time

From kill + time.

A compound of kill + time

Middle English killen

English kill

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to divide’

…

Proto-Germanic *tīmô ‘division, period; time’

Proto-West Germanic *tīmō

Old English tīma ‘time, period’

Middle English tyme

English time

Today it means

noun Something which amuses, and serves to make time pass agreeably.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / kill-time