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
hours 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 sense 1b
hero of the hour
b
hours 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
Phrases
after hours
: after the regular quitting or closing time

Examples of hour in a Sentence

She wasn't supposed to eat for six hours before the operation. You'll be paid by the hour for this job. The job pays ten dollars an hour. She exercises for a full hour every day. She was half an hour late. They arrived a few hours later. The project required long hours of work. The mood changed from hour to hour. These animals are most active in the hour just before sunrise. You can call me at any hour of the day or night.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some programs lack flexibility in hours, which can still be challenging for caregivers. ForbesWomen: Get the ForbesWomen newsletter, and supercharge your mission with success stories, tips and more. Christine Michel Carter, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 Monday night's attacks came 24 hours after Russian forces targeted regions throughout Ukraine with more than 470 attack drones -- one of the largest aerial strikes of the war, according to Ukraine's air force. Jason Volack, ABC News, 10 June 2025 In the hours after the new ban took effect, no disruptions were immediately discernible at Los Angeles International Airport. Gisela Solomon, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025 Still available to watch for free on YouTube, the show, which received rave reviews from fans of both companies as well as journalists from around the world, Saturday’s broadcast has been watched by more than 4.1 million viewers on YouTube in the first 24 hours. Jamie Lang, Variety, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hour

Word History

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hour was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hour. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

hour

noun
1
: a time for or rite of religious worship
2
: one of the 24 divisions of a day : 60 minutes
3
: the time of day
the hour is now 10:00 a.m.
4
: a fixed or particular time
lunch hour
an hour of need
5
: the distance traveled in an hour
lives two hours away
6
: a class session
I have math this hour

More from Merriam-Webster on hour

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