DictionaryAI

hour

noun
OW-ur/aʊɚ/OW-uh/aʊə/

Pluralhours

8 meanings of hour

Practice

  1. 1
    unit of timenouncountable
    A length of time equal to sixty minutes.

    Like the time it takes to watch a long TV show.

    I waited for an hour at the station.

    The movie lasts about two hours.

    UsageSay an hour (not incorrect: a hour), because the h is silent.

  2. 2
    time at worknouncountableplural
    The time someone must spend working at a job.

    The store cut her hours, so now she only works weekends.

    She works long hours at the hospital.

    UsageOften work long hours or get more hours.

    Note
  3. 3
    particular timenouncountable
    A certain time or moment, often an important one.

    In her darkest hour, her friends stood by her.

    This is the hour we have all been waiting for.

    UsageOften her finest hour or our darkest hour.

    Similarmoment, time

    Note
  4. 4
    travel distancenouncountable
    How far you can travel in sixty minutes.

    Like measuring a walk by how long it takes instead of counting the steps.

    The next town is about an hour away by car.

    My grandma lives two hours north of the city.

    UsageSay an hour away.

    Note
  5. 5
    time of daynounliterarycountable
    What time it is at a given moment.

    She looked up at the church clock to check the hour.

    The hour grows late, and still she waits.

    UsageIn daily speech, say What time is it?

    Similartime

    Note
  6. 6
    opening timesnoun
    The set times each day when a store, office or service is open.

    The bakery's hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., so go early.

    Check the post office hours before you drive over there.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 7
    military timenouncountableplural
    A word said after a four-digit time to give the time the military way.

    The briefing starts at oh nine hundred hours.

    All units must check in by twenty-three hundred hours.

    UsageRead 1300 hours aloud as thirteen hundred hours.

    Note
  2. 8
    church prayernouncountableplural
    A set time of day for prayer in some churches, or the service or book used then.

    Vespers is the evening hour of prayer in the convent.

    She kept the hours faithfully, praying at fixed times each day.

    Similaroffice

    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of hour apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Latin hōra meaning "hour," which came from Ancient Greek hṓra, a word for any time or period. It is related to the word "year."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts