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
Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Ruched waist detailing, a gold button accent, and polished cowl neck make the stretchy staple classy enough for any occasion without sacrificing comfort and visually creating an hourglass shape.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2025
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
The dress, which hugged her hourglass figure, featured 50,000 freshwater pearls and 16,000 crystal pearls.
—Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Ruched waist detailing, a gold button accent, and polished cowl neck make the stretchy staple classy enough for any occasion without sacrificing comfort and visually creating an hourglass shape.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2025
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 29 Oct. 2025.
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