little hours

American  

plural noun

Roman Catholic Church.

1. the hours of prime, tierce, sext, and nones, and sometimes also vespers and compline.

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little hours British  

plural noun

1. RC Church the canonical hours of prime, terce, sext, and nones in the divine office

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Etymology

Origin of little hours

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Two little hours ago I could have sworn that whatever happened to me, Sassoon would suffer no harm.

From The Valiants of Virginia by Rives, Hallie Erminie

Keep back the phantoms and the visions sad,   The shades of grey, The fancies that so haunt the little hours   Before the day.

From The Miracle and Other Poems by Sheard, Virna

Think of it! and can we ever hesitate to give all our poor little hours to His service?

From Kept for the Master's Use by Havergal, Frances Ridley

He passes similar comments on the hymns assigned to the little hours.

From The Divine Office by Quigley, Edward J.

How she cheats their little hours of temptation, and tides them over the rough places that her eye sees lying like sunken rocks before her little ship! 

From Bunyan Characters (1st Series) by Whyte, Alexander