noun

hours

OWRZ

Hours (noun) means the plural of hour: periods of sixty minutes. Example: “The flight takes eleven hours.”

noun

The plural of hour: periods of sixty minutes.

"The flight takes eleven hours."

"We waited three hours for a table."

The set times during which a business, service or person operates or works.

"Our hours are nine to five, Monday to Friday."

"She cut her hours to look after her mother."

informal A long stretch of time, used loosely to stress how long something took.

"I spent hours looking for that receipt."

How to use hours

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLengths of time of sixty minutes each, or the times something is open.

When to use it

Neutral. The looser sense meaning a very long time is informal and usually exaggerated.

Memory tip

Hour starts with a silent h, so it takes an, not a: an hour, an hour-long meeting.

Easily confused with

hrs → o'clock

Common pairings

opening hours business hours office hours working hours for hours

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The flight takes eleven _____.

Synonyms

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opening times working hours shift

Related words

change move carry transfer fault shift motion switch

Rhymes for hours

ours yours Tours fours colours

See all rhymes for hours →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hours and hrs?

They mean exactly the same thing; hrs is simply the written abbreviation, used on timetables, forms and labels. Write hours out in full in ordinary prose.

Is it 24 hours or 24 hour?

Use hours as a plural noun after a number: it lasted 24 hours. Use the singular before a noun it modifies, with a hyphen: a 24-hour helpline, a two-hour delay.

What are business hours?

The period when a company is open and staffed, typically around nine to five on weekdays in most of the English-speaking world. Outside business hours means evenings, weekends and public holidays.

What is the meaning of hours?

"hours" (noun) means the plural of hour: periods of sixty minutes.

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