Main Entry: hour

Pronunciation: \ˈau̇(-ə)r\

Function: noun

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

Date: 13th century

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 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 1b <hero of the hour> b 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 b : credit hour, semester hour

— after hours : after the regular quitting or closing time