minute hand

American  

[min-it] / ˈmɪn ɪt /

noun

1. the hand that indicates the minutes on a clock or watch, usually longer than the hour hand.

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minute hand British  

/ ˈmɪnɪt /

noun

1. the pointer on a timepiece that indicates minutes, typically the longer hand of two Compare hour hand second hand

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Etymology

Origin of minute hand

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Using the tip of a sharpened pencil, I delicately push the minute hand of the watch around in a circle, though the hour hand is unmovable, permanently pointing at 11 o’clock.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2025

This hasn’t traditionally been the American way; here, more trains run at rush hour than at lunchtime, at random times that seem derived from engineers spinning the minute hand upstairs.

From Slate • May 5, 2025

The 62-year-old also explained how the clock keeps its time during the year despite the forces of gravity on the minute hand.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2024

The minute hands of most clocks don't move backward, and the Doomsday Clock, once its minute hand is set, doesn't start ticking forward.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2023

I glanced up at the big clock, whose minute hand never seemed to move in spite of the second hand winding around and around.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia