hour hand
1
1.8
- noun
- /ˈaʊər hænd/
:
manecilla de la hora
- Cola remembered the song every session and never confused the minute hand and the hour hand again.
- hour hand of a watch
- hour hand of a clock
- points the hour hand
That clock doesn't have an hour hand, much less number of days that have gone by.
- That clock doesn't have an hour hand, much less number of days that have gone by.
Examples
-
The clock above the door is broken, the hour hand gone.
Fiction book (2001) -
OK, so if you watch now and the hour hand goes past, it changes.
-
Split the difference between the hour hand and 12, south.
-
You take the hour hand here and you point it at the sun.
-
"And the clocks with just hour hands," Mitch said.
Fiction book (1992) -
It was missing its hour hand.
Fiction book (1992) -
The hour hand clicks to 4:30 P.M.
Fiction book (1993) -
Eric holds his wristwatch up, points the hour hand at the sun, counts forward to noon, and accordingly makes an approximation of their direction.
Fiction book (1993) -
To tell the time accurately, always align the hour hand with the correct hour on the clock.
-
If you want to use your watch as a compass, point the hour hand at the sun.
Synonyms
3
2.2
The short pointer on a clock that shows the hour
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning ('the shorter pointer indicating hours') is directly and compositionally derived from 'hour' (a 60-minute period) + 'hand' (a pointer on a clock). This noun–noun compound follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern for clock terminology, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Hour hand is the short hand on a clock or watch that points to the 'hours'. Because it is shorter and moves slowly from one number to the next, it shows which 'hour' it is.