hourglass

1 of 2

noun

hour·glass ˈau̇(-ə)r-ˌglas

: an instrument for measuring time consisting of a glass vessel having two compartments from the upper of which a quantity of usually sand runs in an hour into the lower one

hourglass

2 of 2

adjective

: shaped like an hourglass

an hourglass figure

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With just 21 games left to play, the granular opportunities are slipping through the hourglass and the Warriors are in danger of running out of time. —

Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Feb. 2023 But as the Colts enter a critical inflection point in franchise history, the hourglass is not what scares them. —

Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Feb. 2023 To keep the streak going (and to make the daunting hourglass disappear), send a snap to this person ASAP. —

Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 27 Jan. 2023 With plenty of sparkles and an hourglass silhouette, the gown was a showstopper. —

Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2023 Though, if the larger-sized hourglass is not your cup of tea, there is also medium-sized and ellipse-sized candle available. —

Sarah Wolf Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Nov. 2022 Thankfully, after the hourglass proved unpopular with both fans and players, producers ditched it for the current season, settling on the far more intriguing first half of the change, with players still battling to receive their fancy new buff. —

Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2022 Some loyal fans are feeling burned: Like sands through the hourglass, the soap moved to Peacock recently after 57 years on NBC. —

Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2022 As usual, Fox wore the pieces with swagger, adding on one of 2022’s must-have accessories, Balenciaga’s miniature hourglass bag in a glossy black stamped croc material that paired perfectly with all that shiny leather. —

Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2022

Adjective

And yet, her body, designed by a man, had a waist equivalent to 18 inches on a real woman; an impossibly thin figure made even more so by her zaftig 39-inch bust and 33-inch hourglass hip measurement. —

Kate Branch, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2018 Her bright blouse and pants clung to her thick, hourglass figure. —

Aya De Leon, The Root, 22 Apr. 2018 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hourglass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.