26984 words

hour

9 definitions • 24 examples
1
a period of 60 minutes:

Examples:

The exam lasted an hour and a half.
There are 24 hours in a day.
How many hours' sleep do you need?
an hour's/two hour's/etc. time I'll be back in an hour's/two hours' time (= after one/two hours).
My hometown is an hour from Houston/an hour away (= it takes an hour to travel there).
by the hour He gets paid by the hour (= gets a particular amount of money for each hour he works).
every hour on the hour Trains leave every hour on the hour (= at exactly one o'clock, two o'clock, etc.).
past/to the hour Buses leave at ten minutes past/to the hour (= at ten past/to one o'clock, two o'clock, etc.).
formal War was declared at eighteen hundred hours/18.00 hours (= at six o'clock in the evening).
2
the period of time when a particular activity happens or when a shop or public building is open:

Examples:

lunch hour I try to spend my lunch hour walking.
office/working hours Technical support is offered during office/working hours only.
opening hours Our opening hours are from 8.00 to 6.00.
3
a particular time during the day or night:

Examples:

unearthly/ungodly hour Who could be calling us at this unearthly/ungodly hour (= so late at night)?
the early/small hours He returned in the early/small hours (= at night, after midnight).
4
used to describe how many hours in the day you work or what part of the day you work:

Examples:

She's a nurse so she often works unsocial hours.
5
for a very long time:

Examples:

I waited for him for hours.
6
repeatedly during the day and the night:

Examples:

They keep calling me at all hours (of the day and night).
7
a period of 60 minutes:

Examples:

Take this an hour after eating.
It’s open 24 hours a day.
He works long hours (= starts work early and finishes late).
He gets paid by the hour (= for each hour worked).
Buses pull out every hour on the hour (= at the time an hour begins).
8
An hour can be a period of time, not necessarily 60 minutes, when you do something:

Examples:

a lunch hour
9
An hour can be the distance you can travel in 60 minutes:

Examples:

San Francisco is only a couple of hours away.

Navigation