n. [ OE. hour, our, hore, ure, OF. hore, ore, ure, F. heure, L. hora, fr. Gr. &unr_;, orig., a definite space of time, fixed by natural laws; hence, a season, the time of the day, an hour. See Year, and cf. Horologe, Horoscope. ] 1. The twenty-fourth part of a day; sixty minutes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The time of the day, as expressed in hours and minutes, and indicated by a timepiece; as, what is the hour? At what hour shall we meet? [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fixed or appointed time; conjuncture; a particular time or occasion; as, the hour of greatest peril; the man for the hour. [ 1913 Webster ]

Woman, . . . mine hour is not yet come. John ii. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is your hour, and the power of darkness. Luke xxii. 53. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. pl. (R. C. Ch.) Certain prayers to be repeated at stated times of the day, as matins and vespers. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A measure of distance traveled. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vilvoorden, three hours from Brussels. J. P. Peters. [ 1913 Webster ]

After hours, after the time appointed for one's regular labor. --
Canonical hours. See under Canonical. --
Hour angle (Astron.), the angle between the hour circle passing through a given body, and the meridian of a place. --
Hour circle. (Astron.) (a) Any circle of the sphere passing through the two poles of the equator; esp., one of the circles drawn on an artificial globe through the poles, and dividing the equator into spaces of 15°, or one hour, each. (b) A circle upon an equatorial telescope lying parallel to the plane of the earth's equator, and graduated in hours and subdivisions of hours of right ascension. (c) A small brass circle attached to the north pole of an artificial globe, and divided into twenty-four parts or hours. It is used to mark differences of time in working problems on the globe. --
Hour hand, the hand or index which shows the hour on a timepiece. --
Hour line. (a) (Astron.) A line indicating the hour. (b) (Dialing) A line on which the shadow falls at a given hour; the intersection of an hour circle which the face of the dial. --
Hour plate, the plate of a timepiece on which the hours are marked; the dial. Locke. --
Sidereal hour, the twenty-fourth part of a sidereal day. --
Solar hour, the twenty-fourth part of a solar day. --
The small hours, the early hours of the morning, as one o'clock, two o'clock, etc. --
To keep good hours, to be regular in going to bed early. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An instrument for measuring time, especially the interval of an hour. It consists of a glass vessel having two compartments, from the uppermost of which a quantity of sand, water, or mercury occupies an hour in running through a small aperture unto the lower. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ A similar instrument measuring any other interval of time takes its name from the interval measured; as, a half-hour glass, a half-minute glass. A three-minute glass is sometimes called an egg-glass, from being used to time the boiling of eggs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Houris [ Per. hūrī, hūrā, hūr; akin to Ar. hūr, pl. of ahwar beautiful-eyed, black-eyed. ] A nymph of paradise; -- so called by the Muslims. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Every hour; frequently; continually. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great was their strife, which hourly was renewed. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Happening or done every hour; occurring hour by hour; frequent; often repeated; renewed hour by hour; continual. [ 1913 Webster ]

In hourly expectation of a martyrdom. Sharp. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ A translation of L. Horae (Gr. &unr_;). See Hour. ] (Myth.) Goddess of the seasons, or of the hours of the day. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lo! where the rosy-blosomed Hours,
Fair Venus' train, appear. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]