Illustration of hourglass
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
: shaped like an hourglass
an hourglass figure
Examples of hourglass in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eva Flowe
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
Black fabric gave the body of the dress an hourglass silhouette, and coordinated with an organza cape featuring the same floral motif.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
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 All Example Sentences for hourglass
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Noun
Black Widows Many may know the black widow for the striking appearance of the female, black with a large abdomen and red hourglass marking.
—Eva Flowe
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
Black fabric gave the body of the dress an hourglass silhouette, and coordinated with an organza cape featuring the same floral motif.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
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 All Example Sentences for hourglass
Cite this Entry
“Hourglass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hourglass. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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