hourglass

American  

[ouuhr-glas, -glahs, ou-er-] / ˈaʊərˌglæs, -ˌglɑs, ˈaʊ ər- /

noun

hourglasses plural

1. an instrument for measuring time, consisting of two bulbs of glass joined by a narrow passage through which a quantity of sand or mercury runs in just an hour.

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adjective

1. having a notably slim or narrow waist, midsection, or joining segment.

   She has an hourglass figure.

hourglass British  

/ ˈaʊəˌɡlɑːs /

noun

1. a device consisting of two transparent chambers linked by a narrow channel, containing a quantity of sand that takes a specified time to trickle to one chamber from the other

2. (modifier) well-proportioned with a small waist

   an hourglass figure

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hourglasses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hourglass

First recorded in 1505–15; hour + glass

Example Sentences

In a dark room, a doctor pointed to an hourglass shape glowing on the ultrasound screen: There was her amniotic sac, funneling into her dilated cervix, and there was their tiny daughter’s foot, dipping out.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the screams of our lives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

The hourglass silhouette – the cinched in waist and fuller skirt – felt pointed and intentional.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2025

“The hourglass sand bag complemented the sand-treated dress and was the icing on the cake, not to mention the theatrics of her ‘walk’ on the carpet.”

From Seattle Times • May 7, 2024

Hauptmann lifts an hourglass from a shelf and sets it in a crate, and his pale silver-tipped fingers hang in the air.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• timer