hourglass

noun/ˈaʊrˌɡlæs/

Frequency rank: #14,074 most common English word

Meaning

A device for measuring time, consisting of two glass bulbs connected by a narrow neck through which sand flows from the upper to the lower bulb in a set period.

Illustration for the English word “hourglass”

Example sentence

She watched the sand fall through the hourglass as the last minutes of the game ticked away.

Synonyms & related words

Practice this word in the quiz

More words in ranks 14,001–14,100