"five-second rule" meaning in English

See five-second rule in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-five-second rule.wav Forms: five-second rules [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} five-second rule (plural five-second rules)
  1. Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:
    (informal) The belief that food dropped on the ground is still hygienic to eat provided it is picked up within five seconds of touching the ground.     Tags: informal Categories (topical): Food and drink, Time
    Sense id: en-five-second_rule-en-noun-gQTO7jg7 Disambiguation of Food and drink: 100 0 0 Disambiguation of Time: 33 33 33
  2. Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:
    (basketball) A rule that a closely-guarded player cannot hold the ball for more than five seconds without dribbling, passing, rolling, or shooting the ball.     Categories (topical): Basketball, Time
    Sense id: en-five-second_rule-en-noun-P0UuOwiL Disambiguation of Time: 33 33 33 Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
  3. Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:
    (basketball) A rule that a player who throws in the ball from out of bounds must get rid of it in less than five seconds.     Categories (topical): Basketball, Time Translations (Translations): 3秒ルール (sanbyō rūru) (english: three-second rule, dropped food) (Japanese), 5秒ルール (gobyō rūru) (english: five-second rule) [basketball, ball-games, games, sports, hobbies, lifestyle] (Japanese)
    Sense id: en-five-second_rule-en-noun-Awgbza9t Disambiguation of Time: 33 33 33 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Japanese translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 32 22 45 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 35 19 46 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 33 21 46 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 34 18 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 30 21 49 Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports Disambiguation of 'Translations': 34 20 46
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: two-second rule, three-second rule, ten-second rule

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "five-second rules",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "five-second rule (plural five-second rules)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "33 33 33",
      "word": "two-second rule"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "33 33 33",
      "word": "three-second rule"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "33 33 33",
      "word": "ten-second rule"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "100 0 0",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Food and drink",
          "orig": "en:Food and drink",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 33 33",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Time",
          "orig": "en:Time",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007-05-09, Harold McGee, The New York Times, \"The Five-Second Rule Explored, or How Dirty Is That Bologna?\", page F3",
          "text": "Accompanied by six graphs, two tables and equations whose terms include “bologna” and “carpet,” it’s a thorough microbiological study of the five-second rule: the idea that if you pick up a dropped piece of food before you can count to five, it’s O.K. to eat it."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Sandy Donovan, Does an Apple a Day Keep the Doctor Away?:",
          "text": "UNFORTUNATELY, THE FIVE-SECOND RULE IS A MYTH.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, William A. Dando, Food and Famine in the 21st Century, page 201:",
          "text": "Here are five facts to remember for those who are tempted to apply the five-second rule.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Curious George Discovers Germs:",
          "text": "Often, people call out the five-second rule because they think that if you get food off the floor quickly enough, there won't be any germs on it.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "The belief that food dropped on the ground is still hygienic to eat provided it is picked up within five seconds of touching the ground."
      ],
      "id": "en-five-second_rule-en-noun-gQTO7jg7",
      "links": [
        [
          "belief",
          "belief"
        ],
        [
          "ground",
          "ground"
        ],
        [
          "hygienic",
          "hygienic"
        ],
        [
          "eat",
          "eat"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "(informal) The belief that food dropped on the ground is still hygienic to eat provided it is picked up within five seconds of touching the ground."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Basketball",
          "orig": "en:Basketball",
          "parents": [
            "Ball games",
            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 33 33",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Time",
          "orig": "en:Time",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "A rule that a closely-guarded player cannot hold the ball for more than five seconds without dribbling, passing, rolling, or shooting the ball."
      ],
      "id": "en-five-second_rule-en-noun-P0UuOwiL",
      "links": [
        [
          "basketball",
          "basketball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "(basketball) A rule that a closely-guarded player cannot hold the ball for more than five seconds without dribbling, passing, rolling, or shooting the ball."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "basketball",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Basketball",
          "orig": "en:Basketball",
          "parents": [
            "Ball games",
            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 22 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 19 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 21 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 18 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 21 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 33 33",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Time",
          "orig": "en:Time",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "A rule that a player who throws in the ball from out of bounds must get rid of it in less than five seconds."
      ],
      "id": "en-five-second_rule-en-noun-Awgbza9t",
      "links": [
        [
          "basketball",
          "basketball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "(basketball) A rule that a player who throws in the ball from out of bounds must get rid of it in less than five seconds."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "basketball",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "34 20 46",
          "code": "ja",
          "english": "three-second rule, dropped food",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "sanbyō rūru",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "3秒ルール"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "34 20 46",
          "code": "ja",
          "english": "five-second rule",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "gobyō rūru",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "topics": [
            "basketball",
            "ball-games",
            "games",
            "sports",
            "hobbies",
            "lifestyle"
          ],
          "word": "5秒ルール"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-five-second rule.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "five-second rule"
  ],
  "word": "five-second rule"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss",
    "en:Food and drink",
    "en:Time"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "five-second rules",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "five-second rule (plural five-second rules)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "two-second rule"
    },
    {
      "word": "three-second rule"
    },
    {
      "word": "ten-second rule"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007-05-09, Harold McGee, The New York Times, \"The Five-Second Rule Explored, or How Dirty Is That Bologna?\", page F3",
          "text": "Accompanied by six graphs, two tables and equations whose terms include “bologna” and “carpet,” it’s a thorough microbiological study of the five-second rule: the idea that if you pick up a dropped piece of food before you can count to five, it’s O.K. to eat it."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Sandy Donovan, Does an Apple a Day Keep the Doctor Away?:",
          "text": "UNFORTUNATELY, THE FIVE-SECOND RULE IS A MYTH.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, William A. Dando, Food and Famine in the 21st Century, page 201:",
          "text": "Here are five facts to remember for those who are tempted to apply the five-second rule.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Curious George Discovers Germs:",
          "text": "Often, people call out the five-second rule because they think that if you get food off the floor quickly enough, there won't be any germs on it.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "The belief that food dropped on the ground is still hygienic to eat provided it is picked up within five seconds of touching the ground."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "belief",
          "belief"
        ],
        [
          "ground",
          "ground"
        ],
        [
          "hygienic",
          "hygienic"
        ],
        [
          "eat",
          "eat"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "(informal) The belief that food dropped on the ground is still hygienic to eat provided it is picked up within five seconds of touching the ground."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Basketball"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "A rule that a closely-guarded player cannot hold the ball for more than five seconds without dribbling, passing, rolling, or shooting the ball."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "basketball",
          "basketball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "(basketball) A rule that a closely-guarded player cannot hold the ball for more than five seconds without dribbling, passing, rolling, or shooting the ball."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "basketball",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Basketball"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "A rule that a player who throws in the ball from out of bounds must get rid of it in less than five seconds."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "basketball",
          "basketball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any rule that allows or prohibits certain behavior for five seconds after some event, especially:",
        "(basketball) A rule that a player who throws in the ball from out of bounds must get rid of it in less than five seconds."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "ball-games",
        "basketball",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-five-second rule.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-five-second_rule.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "english": "three-second rule, dropped food",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "sanbyō rūru",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "3秒ルール"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "english": "five-second rule",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "gobyō rūru",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "topics": [
        "basketball",
        "ball-games",
        "games",
        "sports",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle"
      ],
      "word": "5秒ルール"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "five-second rule"
  ],
  "word": "five-second rule"
}

Download raw JSONL data for five-second rule meaning in English (4.6kB)

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (e4a2c88 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.