Definition of 'hour'

Word Frequency

hour

(aʊəʳ )

Word forms: plural hours

1. countable noun

An hour is a period of sixty minutes.

They waited for about two hours.

I only slept about half an hour that night.

...a twenty-four hour strike.

London was an hour away and by the time I arrived the operation had already been performed.

2. plural noun

People say that something takes or lasts hours to emphasize that it takes or lasts a very long time, or what seems like a very long time.

[emphasis]

Getting there would take hours.

3. singular noun

A clock that strikes the hour strikes when it is exactly one o'clock, two o'clock, and so on.

4. singular noun

You can refer to a particular time or moment as a particular hour.

[literary]

...the hour of his execution. [+ of]

The gathering storm had made the day even darker than was usual at this hour.

5. countable noun

If you refer, for example, to someone's hour of need or hour of happiness, you are referring to the time in their life when they are or were experiencing that condition or feeling.

[literary]

He was one of the first people to stand by me in my hour of need.

...the darkest hour of my professional life. [+ of]

6. plural noun

You can refer to the period of time during which something happens or operates each day as the hours during which it happens or operates.

...the hours of darkness. [+ of]

Phone us on this number during office hours.

...outside prison visiting hours.

7. plural noun

If you refer to the hours involved in a job, you are talking about how long you spend each week doing it and when you do it.

I worked quite irregular hours.

The job was easy; the hours were good.

8. eleventh hour, lunch hour, rush hour

See after hours

10. See also after-hours

11.

See at all hours

12.

See the small hours

13.

See hour after hour

14.

See on the hour

15.

See past the hour/before the hour

16.

See out of hours

Video: pronunciation of
hour

hour in British English

(aʊə )

noun

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

▶ Related adjectives: horal, horary

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

3. See the hour

the time of day as indicated by a watch, clock, etc

the period of time allowed for or used for something

the lunch hour

the hour of prayer

a special moment or period

our finest hour

7. See the hour

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. See one's hour

11. See take one's hour

Word origin

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

Word Frequency

hour in American English

(aʊr )

noun

a division of time, one of the twenty-four parts of a day; sixty minutes

one of the twelve points on a clock, watch, etc. marking the beginning or end of such a division

the ninth hour

a point or period of time

; specif.,

a fixed point or period of time for a particular activity, occasion, etc.

the dinner hour

an indefinite period of time of a specified kind

his finest hour

c. [pl.]

a period fixed for work, receiving patients, etc.

office hours from 2 to 5

d. [pl.]

the usual times for getting up or going to bed

to keep late hours

the time of day as indicated by a timepiece or as reckoned from midnight to midnight, expressed in hours and minutes

arrival at 14:30 hours

a measure of the distance usually covered in an hour

two hours from New York to Philadelphia by rail

5. Astronomy

a sidereal hour; angular unit equaling 15° measured along the celestial equator

6. Ecclesiastical

a canonical hour or the prayers then said

hour in American English

(auᵊr, ˈauər)

noun

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

any specific one of these 24 periods, 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 o'clock

The hour for the bombardment was between 1300 and 1400

any specific time of day; the time indicated by a timepiece

What is the hour?

a short or limited period of time

He savored his hour of glory

a particular or appointed time

What was the hour of death?

At what hour do you open?

a customary or usual time

When is your dinner hour?

the present time

the man of the hour

8. See hours

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. 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. See the Hours

14. See one's hour

adjective

15.

of, pertaining to, or noting an hour

Derived forms

hourless

adjective

Word origin

[1175–1225; ME (h)oure ‹ AF; OF (h)ore ‹ L hōra ‹ Gk ho᷇rā time, season]

Examples of 'hour' in a sentence
hour

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

The printing plants were raided in the early hours without explanation.He lives an hour away and his business means he must stay in his area. Symptoms can be delayed for up to an hour after a sting.The rescue helicopter was with us in about two hours.There were times when an hour seemed a long time in politics.Leave to set for about one hour.The journey takes five and a half hours. Hunters knew my life secrets within hours... could you give them the slip?I was fasting in the morning for hours before a job.She wrote on Twitter that the past 24 hours had been gruelling.