little hours

American  

plural noun

Roman Catholic Church.

1. the hours of prime, tierce, sext, and nones, and sometimes also vespers and compline.

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little hours British  

plural noun

1. RC Church the canonical hours of prime, terce, sext, and nones in the divine office

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Etymology

Origin of little hours

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

How she cheats their little hours of temptation, and tides them over the rough places that her eye sees lying like sunken rocks before her little ship! 

From Bunyan Characters (1st Series) by Whyte, Alexander

Well," he protested, "and for me to stay with you a week takes months of these miserable little hours we have.

From Plashers Mead A Novel by MacKenzie, Compton

Three little hours had scarcely fled,— Khara and Dúshaṇ both were dead, And he had freed the saints and made Asylum sure in Daṇḍak's shade.

From The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Griffith, Ralph T. H. (Ralph Thomas Hotchkin)

Two little hours ago I could have sworn that whatever happened to me, Sassoon would suffer no harm.

From The Valiants of Virginia by Rives, Hallie Erminie

But, idol of my heart, though I am overcome with grief at the idea of leaving you for two little hours, it is a question of four thousand francs.

From The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol by Ball, Alec