Illustration of hourglass
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
: shaped like an hourglass
an hourglass figure
Examples of hourglass in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jolene Edgar, Allure, 10 Apr. 2025
The soft watercolor portrait print of his mother no less, on delicate sheer organzas, were standouts, as were his hourglass constructions and floral dimensional embroideries.
—Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025
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 All Example Sentences for hourglass
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Noun
In pursuit of an hourglass figure, some patients (and their plastic surgeons) are exploring a dramatic new frontier in body contouring.
April 10, 2025
In the late '80s, a tabloid suggested that Cher had undergone a risky rib removal surgery to narrow her waistline.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 10 Apr. 2025
The soft watercolor portrait print of his mother no less, on delicate sheer organzas, were standouts, as were his hourglass constructions and floral dimensional embroideries.
—Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 25 Feb. 2025
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 All Example Sentences for hourglass
Cite this Entry
“Hourglass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hourglass. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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