after-hours

[ af-ter-ouuhrz, -ou-erz, ahf- ]

adjective

1. occurring, engaged in, or operating after the normal or legal closing time for business:

   an after-hours drinking club.

Word History and Origins

Origin of after-hours¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Idioms and Phrases

After normal working hours, after closing time; also, after legal or established opening hours. For example, I haven't time while the shop is open, but I can see you after hours , or The restaurant employees sometimes stayed for a meal after hours . This term originally referred to laws governing business hours. It also gave rise to the term after-hours club , for a drinking club that remained open later than similar establishments. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

The stock dropped 15 percent in after-hours trading Tuesday and the carnage continued Wednesday morning.

From The Daily Beast

I used to work at a Tower Records and shot a film after-hours there.

From The Daily Beast

She seemed to be enjoying it, too, judging by this amazing photo of her and Plaza after-hours.

From The Daily Beast

Only a policeman would know where the after-hours joints were open in this kind of a town.

From The Daily Beast

Shortly after the announcement, Washington Post shares were up 4.5 percent in after-hours trading.

From The Daily Beast

In order to expedite the work, it was desirable to induce the men to work after-hours.

From Project Gutenberg

To-morrow the fault shall be corrected, and the swings that are made in after-hours now give fair promise of a great change.

From Project Gutenberg

I do not know how the dinner, or rather the after-hours of it, had lengthened.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• midnight