hour
Noun
UK/aʊə/US/aʊr/
A period of time equal to 60 minutes; one of the 24 parts into which a day is divided.
Example Sentences
There are 24 hours in a day.
He set an alarm to wake up an hour early for his morning run.
I only have an hour left to complete this assignment, so I'd better focus.
They decided to wait half an hour before checking if the package had arrived.
She typically spends an hour reading before going to bed each night.
Because the journey took nearly an hour longer than planned, the passengers grew restless and impatient.
After a frantic hour of searching for the lost keys, they finally found them buried under a pile of papers in the kitchen, much to everyone’s relief.
With an hour to spare before the train arrived, they grabbed a quick meal at the station café and double-checked their travel documents to ensure everything was in order.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
How to Use
A standardized measure of time, typically 60 minutes or 1/24 of a day.This term denotes one of the most common divisions of time across cultures and contexts, structured into 60 minutes. We regularly use it to schedule events, mark durations, and synchronize daily activities. For instance, we might say, “It takes about an hour to bake this cake,” or “I’ll meet you in half an hour.” In schools, class periods often fit into neatly demarcated hours or half-hours, while at work, an eight-hour day is often standard. Because of its practicality, the concept is recognized globally, allowing people to coordinate everything from transportation timetables to televised broadcasts. You can use this measurement to refer to any sixty-minute block, whether it starts exactly on the hour (e.g., 1:00, 2:00) or at any point in time (from 1:25 to 2:25, for example). Beyond schedules, the term also appears in phrases to discuss approximate durations: “Give me an hour or so,” or “He spent hours reading.” Whether making plans, tracking productivity, or relishing personal hobbies, understanding and using this measure of time helps keep life organized and predictable. In writing, clarity is vital—if you are referencing a specific time slot, specify it: “From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.” If you mean an estimate, clarify it with words like “about” or “roughly.” In any context, it’s a foundational tool for daily life, bridging personal routines, professional environments, and global communications.
Alternatives
Other expressions can serve similar roles to describe segments of time. For shorter spans, words like “minute” or “second” specify more precise intervals, while “half an hour” or “quarter of an hour” break up the original 60-minute block. In more casual speech, you might say “30 minutes” or “15 minutes” instead of referencing a fractional hour. For broader periods, terms like “day,” “afternoon,” or “morning” capture longer stretches but with less numeric precision. If you want to emphasize an approximate timeframe, you might use “around one hour,” “about an hour,” or “roughly sixty minutes” to indicate a lack of exactness. In certain cultural contexts, expressions like “one bell” or “two bells” once indicated time segments, especially in maritime tradition, although these are now largely historical or niche. Many non-Western societies also have unique ways of dividing the day based on sun position or prayer times, though most modern settings still align with the standard 24-hour cycle divided into 60-minute intervals. Another alternative is referencing “session,” “slot,” or “period” to convey a block of time that may or may not be precisely sixty minutes (common in academic or organizational contexts). In project planning or scheduling, you might find references to “time blocks” or “windows,” indicating flexible scheduling units. Whether for precise planning or general discussion, a wide range of terms can help you describe how long tasks or events last, offering nuance while retaining clarity.
Writing
When incorporating this unit of time into your writing, clarity and context are essential. First, decide if you need exactness or approximation. If something lasts precisely sixty minutes, specifying “a sixty-minute session” can help your readers visualize length and timing. On the other hand, phrases like “about an hour” or “roughly an hour” suggest flexibility, which might be more appropriate if timing isn’t strict. Next, consider consistency and repetition. If you’re discussing multiple intervals, vary your language by occasionally substituting “sixty minutes” or “a one-hour window” to avoid monotony. In more formal or technical documentation—such as schedules, manuals, or timetables—be explicit with start and end times, ensuring readers can easily follow. For instance, “The workshop runs from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.” leaves no ambiguity. Additionally, think about pacing and perspective in longer pieces. If you’re storytelling, describing how long characters spend on various tasks can provide insight into their priorities or the urgency of a situation. If you’re crafting an instructional text, detailing the required time for each step can help readers plan accordingly. Overall, employing the term properly enhances clarity, guides reader expectations, and supports precise narrative flow.
Casual Conversation
In everyday conversation, you’ll use this term constantly to discuss schedules and durations. For example, you might say, “I’ll be there in an hour,” or, “Can you wait an hour before dinner?” People rely on it to gauge how to manage their day or align with others’ availability. Whether catching a flight, baking cookies, or planning to meet friends, you’ll likely refer to a sixty-minute chunk of time as a convenient benchmark. When speaking informally, it’s typical to approximate or round: “Give me half an hour,” or “I’ll need a couple of hours to finish.” You can also emphasize urgency or a relaxed pace using time references: “We have an hour to kill,” signals you have free time, whereas “We only have an hour left!” underscores urgency. In casual contexts, keep the language short and clear; no one expects extreme precision unless it’s crucial—like catching a train departure at an exact minute. This easy-to-use measure keeps everything from meet-ups to personal tasks in sync, forming a critical part of daily verbal exchanges.
Etymology
The English word derives from the Old French “heure,” itself tracing back to the Latin “hora,” meaning “time” or “hour.” Latin borrowed from the Ancient Greek “hōra” (ὥρα), which referred broadly to any fixed period or season. In the historical evolution of timekeeping, ancient civilizations initially relied on solar positioning or water clocks to break the day into segments. However, as mechanical clocks gained traction in the Middle Ages, dividing a day into twenty-four sixty-minute units became a widely accepted standard in Europe. The concept, once tied to daylight hours that fluctuated seasonally, gradually stabilized around fixed increments as mechanical and later electronic clocks became pervasive. Over time, this evolved measure aligned global schedules—shipping, commerce, and eventually air travel relied on exact hours to synchronize operations across vast distances. While the ancient approach to dividing the day often varied by culture, the modern, standardized notion of twenty-four discrete segments is now nearly universal. Hence, the term stands as a testament to both technological progress and the need for shared time standards in an interconnected world.