Skip to main content
hour

hour

860 1.0
A certain time of day shown on a clock
  • noun
  • /ˈaʊər/
: hora
  • The clock chimed at the hour, signaling the start of the event.
  • office hours
  • morning hours
  • evening hours

Train under compulsion at a fixed hour in heat or cold.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • In other words, the average American worker generates $13 more per hour than the average Canadian worker.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The hour is long past.

  • So you could be here in an hour, OK?

  • You drive there, you do an hour's work and you get that.

  • What does the hour before bed look like?

  • Think one time for one hour, make a decision and go.

  • And I hope we can provide at least an hour away from all of that.

  • The president will be addressing the nation and all of you personally within the hour.

  • The community center operates after school hours; participation is voluntary, and usually payment is required.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The survey takes place during regular class hours for all undergraduate sociology classes on campus.

    Academic text (2015)

Synonyms

time of day
vshour
84 1.0

The exact hour when something happens

is stated precisely by the clock's number rather than a general period

Idioms

The latest possible time before a deadline or event

The last moment before a deadline when it is almost too late

1 7.5

As often as possible

Compounds

835 1.0

A period of thirty minutes

142 1.7

A measure of speed showing how many miles you travel in one hour

A time that lasts 90 minutes

81 2.4

A period of time spent working or doing something that is longer than usual

56 2.3

Times at the start and end of the work day when traffic is heavy

54 2.5

A period when a bar or restaurant sells drinks and sometimes food at lower prices

The exact time when a new hour begins, for example 3:00

A time early in the morning just after dawn

man hour
  • Specialized
16 3.0

The amount of work one person does in one hour

14 4.6

A moment when a person has their greatest success in life or work

13 1.0

A period of fifteen minutes

man-hour
  • Specialized
11 3.4

The work one person does in one hour

The number of kilometers you travel in one hour

kilowatt hour
  • Specialized
8 3.2

The energy used by a 1,000-watt device in one hour

6 5.1

The exact time when a planned action begins

credit hour
  • Specialized
3 3.5

One hour of class each week during a semester that counts toward a degree

megawatt hour
  • Specialized
2 4.0

A unit of energy equal to one million watts used for one hour

watt-hour
  • Specialized
2 4.2

Energy that one watt of power uses in one hour

2 1.8

The shorter hand on a clock or watch that shows the hour

The late part of the night when most people are asleep

megawatt-hour
  • Specialized
1 5.1

An amount of electricity equal to one million watts used for one hour

light hour
  • Specialized
1 8.1

The distance light travels in empty space in one hour, about one billion kilometers

The time after the sun goes down when the sky is partly light

1 3.1

A unit of college credit equal to one hour of class per week during a semester

person hour
  • Specialized
1 3.6

The amount of work one person does in one hour

1 9.9

One of seven fixed times for prayer during the day in the Roman Catholic Church

A last-minute attempt to finish something before time runs out

ampere-hour
  • Specialized
1 6.3

The amount of electricity a one-ampere current moves in one hour

sidereal hour
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A time unit astronomers use to divide a day measured by the stars into 24 parts

horsepower-hour
  • Specialized
1 7.7

Amount of work one horsepower does in one hour

machine-hour
  • Specialized
1 5.8

One hour of a machine's running time that measures work done or cost

A decision someone makes at the last possible moment before a deadline

flower-of-an-hour
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small plant with yellow flowers that open in the morning and fade by midday

A plant with yellow flowers that open in the morning and fade by midday

9.7

A very long time that people say to show exaggeration

hour angle
  • Specialized
9.6

A distance along the sky's equator from your north-south line to a star

hour circle
  • Specialized
9.9

A circle on the sky that passes through both celestial poles and a star to show its right ascension

Surface Forms

hour singular
hours plural

Etymology

Hour comes from Greek hōra, meaning 'time of day' or 'season', and people used it to name parts of the day. That's why we use hour to say a particular time shown on a clock.