before the hour

idiom

used with a certain number of minutes to indicate how long before the beginning of an hour something will happen
Trains leave the station every hour at ten minutes before the hour.

Dictionary Entries Near before the hour

Cite this Entry

“Before the hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/before%20the%20hour. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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