Illustration of hourglass
hourglass
1 of 2noun
hour·glass ˈau̇(-ə)r-ˌglas 
: an instrument for measuring time consisting of a glass vessel having two compartments from the upper of which a quantity of usually sand runs in an hour into the lower one
hourglass
2 of 2adjective
: shaped like an hourglass
an hourglass figure
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Rana Good, Forbes, 28 June 2022 Fox, 36, wore a gemstone blush gown from Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, which featured an hourglass silhouette and thigh-high leg slit, and a pair of Andrea Wazen stilettos. Michelle Lee, PEOPLE.com, 10 June 2022 It is often used to enhance certain body features, emphasizing the hourglass figure or Kardashian‑like butt and thighs. Gianluca Russo, Allure, 17 Aug. 2022 The female black widow spider is easily recognizable from its all-black body and red hourglass-shaped marking on its belly. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 8 July 2022 Following a verse rapped by Latto, a projection of Carey's hourglass silhouette appeared on a screen and transformed into a cluster of her signature butterflies. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 27 June 2022 The innovative hourglass-shaped brush grasps every lash for a fluttery, feathery effect. Celia Shatzman, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 May 2022 One of the many insights this data has revealed is that the many petite women have a more straight body shape vs. the hourglass shape that fit models typically possess. Rachel King, Fortune, 24 July 2022 The hourglass shape has become a staple on TikTok, with the #BBL hashtag garnering more than 6.8 billion views, filled mostly with BBL 'before and after' shots. Beth Ashley, refinery29.com, 8 July 2022 Kate Branch, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2018 Her bright blouse and pants clung to her thick, hourglass figure. Aya De Leon, The Root, 22 Apr. 2018 See More
Noun
Pair it with a bustier or belt for a gorgeous hourglass silhouette. Rana Good, Forbes, 28 June 2022 Fox, 36, wore a gemstone blush gown from Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, which featured an hourglass silhouette and thigh-high leg slit, and a pair of Andrea Wazen stilettos. Michelle Lee, PEOPLE.com, 10 June 2022 It is often used to enhance certain body features, emphasizing the hourglass figure or Kardashian‑like butt and thighs. Gianluca Russo, Allure, 17 Aug. 2022 The female black widow spider is easily recognizable from its all-black body and red hourglass-shaped marking on its belly. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 8 July 2022 Following a verse rapped by Latto, a projection of Carey's hourglass silhouette appeared on a screen and transformed into a cluster of her signature butterflies. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 27 June 2022 The innovative hourglass-shaped brush grasps every lash for a fluttery, feathery effect. Celia Shatzman, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 May 2022 One of the many insights this data has revealed is that the many petite women have a more straight body shape vs. the hourglass shape that fit models typically possess. Rachel King, Fortune, 24 July 2022 The hourglass shape has become a staple on TikTok, with the #BBL hashtag garnering more than 6.8 billion views, filled mostly with BBL 'before and after' shots. Beth Ashley, refinery29.com, 8 July 2022 Adjective
And yet, her body, designed by a man, had a waist equivalent to 18 inches on a real woman; an impossibly thin figure made even more so by her zaftig 39-inch bust and 33-inch hourglass hip measurement. Kate Branch, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2018 Her bright blouse and pants clung to her thick, hourglass figure. Aya De Leon, The Root, 22 Apr. 2018 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1515, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
circa 1834, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
hourglass
noun
hour·glass ˈau̇r-ˌglas
: a device for measuring time in which sand takes an hour to run from the upper into the lower part of a glass container
hourglasses
noun
as in sundials
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- sundials
- clepsydrae
- clepsydras
- clocks
- stopwatches
- water clocks
- sandglasses
- timers
- time clocks
- atomic clocks
- chronometers
- timekeepers
- alarm clocks
- chronographs
- grandfather clocks
- cuckoo clocks
- timepieces
- watches
- feather coral
- feather crotch
- feather dance
- feather duster
- feather fern
- feather geranium
- feather germ
- feather grass
- feather joint
- feather key
- feather merchant
- feather mite
- feather mosaic
- feather moss
- feather one's nest
- feather ore
- feather out
- feather palm
- feather picking
- feather poke
- feather rot
- feather shot
- feather star
- feather tip
- feather tract