Hour Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms hour American [ouuhr, ou-er] / aʊər, ˈaʊ ər /

    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.

    12. Also called credit hour. Education. one unit of academic credit, usually representing attendance at one scheduled period of instruction per week throughout a semester, quarter, or term.

    13. Classical Mythology. the Hours, the Horae.

    adjective

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

    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.

    hour British / aʊə /

    noun

    1. a period of time equal to 3600 seconds; 1/ 24 th of a calendar day

    2. any of the points on the face of a timepiece that indicate intervals of 60 minutes

    3. 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 lunch hour

      the hour of prayer

    6. a special moment or period

      our finest hour

    7. 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

      1. a time of success, fame, etc

      2. Also: one's last hour. the time of one's death

        his hour had come

    11. informal to do something in a leisurely manner

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 hour Scientific / 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 solar time

    4. A unit of measure of longitude or right ascension, equal to 15° or 1/24 of a great circle.

    hour More Idioms

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

    Other Word Forms

    • hourless adjective

    Etymology

    Origin of hour

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

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    The Italian said last weekend that he had suffered his "worst 48 hours" since joining the club in July last year.

    From Barron's

    Sometimes, he gets only three hours of sleep.

    From Barron's

    Their bakery in northwest London runs 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, supplying sourdough loaves to Gail's, as well as supermarkets, shops and restaurants.

    From BBC

    As if two games in 48 hours were not enough, Crystal Palace now face an additional two-legged play-off to keep their European dream alive.

    From BBC

    Karen’s lawyer succeeded in getting an emergency stay at the 11th hour until a court of appeals judge can review her case further.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Related Words

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

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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