Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

instant

2 noun
     
instant2 [countable]
1 [usually singular] a moment:
She caught his eye for an instant.
When the rain started, the crowd vanished in an instant (=immediately).
instant of
an instant of panic
She stepped towards the door and in that very same instant, the doorbell rang.
2

the instant (that)

as soon as something happens:
The instant I saw him, I knew he was the man from the restaurant.
Jen burst out laughing the instant she walked in.
3

this instant

spoken used when telling someone, especially a child, to do something immediately [= now]:
Come here this instant!
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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