hour

[ ouuhr, ou-er ]

noun

1. a period of time equal to one twenty-fourth of a mean solar or civil day and equivalent to 60 minutes:

   He slept for an hour.

2. any specific one of 24 periods of 60 minutes, usually reckoned in two series of 12, one series from midnight to noon and the second from noon to midnight, but sometimes reckoned in one series of 24, from midnight to midnight:

   He slept for the hour between 2 and 3 a.m. The hour for the bombardment was between 1300 and 1400.

3. any specific time of day; the time indicated by a timepiece:

   What is the hour?

4. a short or limited period of time:

   He savored his hour of glory.

5. a particular or appointed time:

   What was the hour of death? At what hour do you open?

6. a customary or usual time:

   When is your dinner hour?

7. the present time:

   The magazine had an interview with the man of the hour, star of the hottest new superhero movie.

8. hours,
   1. time spent in an office, factory, or the like, or for work, study, etc.:

      The doctor's hours were from 10 to 4. What employees do after hours is their own business.

   2. customary time of going to bed and getting up:

      Actors often keep late hours.

   3. (in the Christian church) the seven stated times of the day for prayer and devotion.
   4. the offices or services prescribed for the seven stated times of the day for prayer and devotion.
   5. a book containing the seven stated times of the day for prayer and devotion.
9. distance normally covered in an hour's traveling:

   We live about an hour from the city.

10. Astronomy. a unit of measure of right ascension representing 15°, or the twenty-fourth part of a great circle.
11. a single period, as of class instruction or therapeutic consultation, usually lasting from 40 to 55 minutes. Compare clock-hour.
12. Education. Also called credit hour. one unit of academic credit, usually representing attendance at one scheduled period of instruction per week throughout a semester, quarter, or term.
13. the Hours, Classical Mythology. the Horae.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or noting an hour.

hour

/ aʊə /

noun

1. a period of time equal to 3600 seconds; 1 24 th of a calendar day horalhorary
2. any of the points on the face of a timepiece that indicate intervals of 60 minutes
3. the hour
   an exact number of complete hours

   the bus leaves on the hour

4. the time of day as indicated by a watch, clock, etc
5. the period of time allowed for or used for something

   the hour of prayer

   the lunch hour

6. a special moment or period

   our finest hour

7. the hour
   the present time

   the man of the hour

8. the distance covered in an hour

   we live an hour from the city

9. astronomy an angular measurement of right ascension equal to 15° or a 24th part of the celestial equator
10. one's hour
    1. a time of success, fame, etc
    2. Alsoone's last hour the time of one's death

       his hour had come

11. take one's hour informal.
    to do something in a leisurely manner

hour

/ our /

1. A unit of time equal to one of the 24 equal parts of a day; 60 minutes.
2. ◆ A sidereal hour is 1 24 of a sidereal day, and a mean solar hour is 1 24 of a mean solar day.
3. See more at sidereal time
4. A unit of measure of longitude or right ascension, equal to 15° or 1 24 of a great circle.

Other Words From

• hour·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hour¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English (h)oure from Anglo-French; Old French (h)ore, from Latin hōra, from Greek hṓrā “time, season”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hour¹

C13: from Old French hore, from Latin hōra, from Greek: season

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. one's hour,
   1. Also one's last hour. the instant of death:

      The sick man knew that his hour had come.

   2. any crucial moment.

More idioms and phrases containing hour

see after hours ; all hours ; by the day (hour) ; eleventh hour ; happy hour ; keep late hours ; on the hour ; small hours .

Example Sentences

"Sub-diurnal forecasting, meaning less than 24 hours, is mainly used for evacuation. This method gives us more accurate forecast probabilities compared to those that make predictions daily or over multiple days," Ahmed says.

From Science Daily

They bought their new place, about two hours out of London, before the election, the site said, then decided to “get the hell out” after Trump won.

From Los Angeles Times

A few hours before the auction began, the cryptocurrency — known online as a memecoin because of its volatile value — had a market cap of nearly $214 million.

From New York Times

Even one senator can hold up the bill, chewing up many hours of Senate floor time that could be spent on confirming judges or passing other legislation deemed to be a higher priority.

From New York Times

The minimum pay would then climb incrementally each year to reach $30 an hour by July 1, 2028, as the Olympics are set to open.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• age
• date
• day
• era
• future
• generation
• life
• moment
• month
• occasion
• pace
• past
• point
• present
• season
• second
• space
• stage
• term
• turn