noun
hourglass
OW-uhg-lahs
noun
1
A timekeeping device with two glass bulbs joined by a narrow neck, through which sand trickles from top to bottom.
"He flipped the hourglass to time the chess move."
2
A cursor shape (resembling an hourglass) shown while a computer is processing.
"The screen froze with the hourglass spinning endlessly."
How to Use Hourglass
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sand-timer, or the "please wait" cursor icon on older computer systems.
Common pairings
hourglass figure
hourglass cursor
Word Forms
hourglassed past tense, hourglasses plural, hourglasses singular
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He flipped the _____ to time the chess move.
Etymology
From hour + glass.