"Minutes" "minute" difference

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

My book CPE Use of English lists the words that change their meanings in the plural. "Minute" and "minutes" have different meanings. Does it mean these meanings "the minutes"-a summary. And the second meaning is "angles".

 

[Rachel Adams]

Minutes (plural) can refer to the record of a meeting, subdivisions of an hour or subdivisions of an angle.

Only the first of these does not have a singular form, but I find it odd to say that the word 'changes its meaning in the plural'. It doesn't.

Sorry, I don't understand. Which one?

 

[Rachel Adams]

We are talking about the word 'minute'.

You said only the first of these doesn't have a singular form.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I know what I said. What is the problem?

The difference in meaning is not clear between "minutes" and "minute" as the book gives them. In other words it lists, it is. For example, "wood" and "woods", "damage" and "damages", "customs" and custom".

 

[Skrej]

Piscean gave you three possible definitions in post #2 for the word 'minutes'. The first definition (record of meeting) can only be plural. The other definitions can be singular or plural.

Regardless, being singular or plural doesn't change the definition of the word. The context and usage changes the definition.