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Synonyms

hourglass

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

noun

  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.

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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hourglass

First recorded in 1505–15; hour + glass

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

"The hourglass is slowly running out, and time is being wasted," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.