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
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
b
see also:
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
Less than an hour later, Hall-Bennetts encountered Patton during a safety check.
—
Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Grand masters typically spend countless hours studying and memorizing long sequences of moves suggested by computer programs.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
After finishing the Cape Town marathon in under five hours — which was part of her broader aim to keep each race under that mark — Khare had to prepare herself mentally to run again, but this time, on ice.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Medicaid authorization rules and reimbursement rates don’t currently support a simple transition to two 12-hour shifts.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hour
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Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Grand masters typically spend countless hours studying and memorizing long sequences of moves suggested by computer programs.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
After finishing the Cape Town marathon in under five hours — which was part of her broader aim to keep each race under that mark — Khare had to prepare herself mentally to run again, but this time, on ice.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Medicaid authorization rules and reimbursement rates don’t currently support a simple transition to two 12-hour shifts.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hour
Cite this Entry
“Hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hour. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hour
noun1
: 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
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