hourglass

Etymology

hour +‎ glass

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaʊəɡlɑːs/

Wooden hourglass

Noun

hourglass (plural hourglasses)

1. A clock made of two glass vessels connected by a narrow passage through which sand flows.

   After each game turn, invert the hourglass to reset the time limit for the next player.

2. (computing) A pointer, often shaped like an hourglass, indicating the computer is busy.

   The computer showed an hourglass mouse cursor to indicate that it was too busy to process user input.