hour hand

noun

1. the hand that indicates the hours on a clock or watch.

hour hand

noun

1. the pointer on a timepiece that indicates the hour Compare minute hand second hand

Word History and Origins

Origin of hour hand¹

First recorded in 1660–70

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

They hardly spin at all as they speed through space—their rotational motion is more than 15 times slower than the crawl of a clock's hour hand, minimizing the risk of blurred images.

From Scientific American

As the particle circles the magnet, its hour hand goes around and around at a rate predicted by theory.

From Scientific American

The minute and hour hands are touted as reversible, “to suit your personal style.”

From Washington Post

The glass face, the hour hand, and the minute hand'd gone and only a bent second hand was left.

From Literature