witching hour

American  

noun

1. midnight.

   a rendezvous at the witching hour.

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witching hour British  

noun

1. the hour at which witches are supposed to appear, usually midnight

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witching hour Idioms  

1. Midnight, as in They arrived just at the witching hour. This term alludes to older superstitions concerning a time appropriate to witchcraft and other supernatural occurrences. Shakespeare and others wrote of “the witching time of night.” The precise phrase was first recorded in 1835.

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Etymology

Origin of witching hour

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Or more recently, on a cold, rainy December night at The Witching Hour in Bushwick.

From Salon

Henry Cavill is going from “The Witcher” to the witching hour: The actor is expecting his first child with entertainment executive Natalie Viscuso, The Times has confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times

The witching hour has begun, a disquieting moment for them to have nothing to do.

From Los Angeles Times

As the witching hour approached, a buzzing crowd mingled, played themed character games and snagged official “Iron Flame” merch as they waited to pick up their limited-edition hardcovers at midnight.

From Los Angeles Times

Dusk is the witching hour at Accra Zoo.

From BBC