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
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
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Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2025
The understanding is that Wolf Blitzer will soon pick up two hours in late morning alongside Pamela Brown, according to a person familiar with the matter, while Kasie Hunt, who leads an early morning program, is in discussions about taking a role in the evening slot where Blitzer once held sway.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
The average weekly working hours of enterprise employees clocked in at 49 hours, according to the NBS.
—Denni Hu, WWD, 17 Jan. 2025
Ben was taken to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead an hour later.
—Stephanie Slifer, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hour 
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Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2025
The understanding is that Wolf Blitzer will soon pick up two hours in late morning alongside Pamela Brown, according to a person familiar with the matter, while Kasie Hunt, who leads an early morning program, is in discussions about taking a role in the evening slot where Blitzer once held sway.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
The average weekly working hours of enterprise employees clocked in at 49 hours, according to the NBS.
—Denni Hu, WWD, 17 Jan. 2025
Ben was taken to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead an hour later.
—Stephanie Slifer, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hour
Dictionary Entries Near hour
Cite this Entry
“Hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hour. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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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