Definition
Hour hand
The hour hand is the clock hand that shows progress through the hours.
What it means
Read this hand to find the hour. It moves slowly and continuously as the minutes pass; it does not wait on one number and then jump. At half past an hour, it is halfway to the next hour number.
Remember it
Slow hand, hour path.
Example
At 7:30, the hour hand is halfway between 7 and 8. It has moved halfway through the seventh hour, so the time is still read as 7:30, not 8:30.
Watch for
The hour hand is usually shorter, but its job and its 12-hour turn identify it—not length alone.
Common mix-up
At 4:30 the hour hand is not exactly on 4; it has moved halfway toward 5.
Exact meaning
On a standard 12-hour analogue clock, the hour hand points to or moves between hour numbers and completes one full turn every 12 hours.