1
: a time or office for daily liturgical devotion
especially : canonical hour
2
: the 24th part of a day : 60 minutes
3
a
: the time of day reckoned in two 12-hour periods
b
hours plural : the time reckoned in one 24-hour period from midnight to midnight using a 4-digit number of which the first two digits indicate the hour and the last two digits indicate the minute
in the military 4:30 p.m. is called 1630 hours
4
a
: a customary or particular time
lunch hour
in our hour of need
also : moment sense 1b
hero of the hour
b
hours plural : time of going to bed
keeps late hours
also : time of working
banker's hours
5
: an angular unit of right ascension equal to 15 degrees measured along the celestial equator
6
: the work done or distance traveled at normal rate in an hour
the city was two hours away
7
a
: a class session
Phrases
after hours
: after the regular quitting or closing time

Examples of hour in a Sentence

She wasn't supposed to eat for six hours before the operation. You'll be paid by the hour for this job. The job pays ten dollars an hour. She exercises for a full hour every day. She was half an hour late. They arrived a few hours later. The project required long hours of work. The mood changed from hour to hour. These animals are most active in the hour just before sunrise. You can call me at any hour of the day or night.
Recent Examples on the Web In the hours ahead, former President Donald Trump faces a deadline to secure a $464 million bond for the civil fraud judgment against him. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024 The wee morning hours were blissfully tranquil, even though Joshua Tree saw a record-breaking number of visitors in 2023, with more than 3.2 million people passing through the gates. Maggie Downs, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 In the evening hours of Friday, March 22, Henderson police arrested the man on a charge of driving under the influence, KTNV said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 Showers and thunderstorms are expected to decrease in intensity by the evening hours. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2024 Chemotherapy sessions can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Julia Sullivan, SELF, 25 Mar. 2024 Cover the lamb with plastic wrap and refrigerate until several hours before cooking. Lucinda Scala Quinn, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 Never giving up, Shadow gave Jackie a couple hours on the nest, but this time came back with a bigger stick and landed it right across her back. Li Cohen, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Candidates would also spend an hour with Josh, the product manager, and finally another hour with Peter before being sent off in the evening with a beer stein emblazoned with the AllDone logo. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French ure, eure, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin hora canonical hour, from Latin, hour of the day, from Greek hōra — more at year

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hour was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near hour

Cite this Entry

“Hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hour. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hour

noun
1
: a time for or rite of religious worship
2
: one of the 24 divisions of a day : 60 minutes
3
: the time of day
the hour is now 10:00 a.m.
4
: a fixed or particular time
lunch hour
an hour of need
5
: the distance traveled in an hour
lives two hours away
6
: a class session
I have math this hour

More from Merriam-Webster on hour

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