Search the Dictionary

as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.

To indicate by numerals; also, to compute. As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen. Dryden.

Passing swiftly away; not durable; transient; transitory; as, the fleeting hours or moments.

To rise, as the tide; -- opposed to ebb; as, the tide flows twice in twenty-four hours. The river hath thrice flowed, no ebb between. Shak.

ened flower. -- Flower clock, an assemblage of flowers which open and close at different hours of the day, thus indicating the time. -- Flower head (Bot.), a compound flower in which all the florets are sessile on their receptacle, as in the case of the daisy. -- Flower pecker (Zoöl.), one of a family (Dicæidæ) of s…

fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy. They in mutual accusation spent The fruitless hours. Milton.

y inconstancy; unstable; changeable; fickle; wild; thoughtless; heedless. "Giddy, foolish hours." Rowe. "Giddy chance." Dryden. Young heads are giddy and young hearts are warm. Cowper.

g heaven they sung, and gladsome day. Prior. -- Glad"some*ly, adv. -- Glad"some*ness, n. Hours of perfect gladsomeness. Wordsworth.

as the daily changes of weather by means of curves, the abscissas of which represent the hours of the day, and the ordinates the corresponding degrees of temperature. -- Graphical statics (Math.), a branch of statics, in which the magnitude, direction, and position of forces are represented by straight lines -- Graph…

enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous; as, happy hours, happy thoughts. Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. Ps. cxliv. 15. The learned is happy Nature to explore, The fool is happy that he knows no more. Pope.

Of or pertaining to an hour, or to hours. Prior.

Of or pertaining to an hour; noting the hours. Spectator.

An account of the hours. Chaucer.

A servant who called out the hours. [Obs.]

The art, practice, or method of measuring time by hours and subordinate divisions. "The horometry of antiquity." Sir T. Browne.

The time of the day, as expressed in hours and minutes, and indicated by a timepiece; as, what is the hour At what hour shall we meet

ution, the stars and planets passing through them in the reverse order every twenty- four hours.

Not called into active service; not turned to appropriate use; unemployed; as, idle hours. The idle spear and shield were high uphing. Milton.

. W. Hamilton. Immediate amputation (Surg.), an amputation performed within the first few hours after an injury, and before the the effects of the shock have passed away.

, experience furnishes very instructive lessons. Addison. In various talk the instructive hours they past. Pope. -- In*struct"ive*ly, adv. -- In*struct"ive*ness, n. The pregnant instructiveness of the Scripture. Boyle.