witching hour

noun

1. midnight.

   a rendezvous at the witching hour.

witching hour

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of witching hour¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Idioms and Phrases

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.