Phrase guide

book of hours

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An illuminated Catholic devotional book, popular in the Middle Ages.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Synonym of horologion, the equivalent of the breviary in Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: horologion

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the books' usual division of prayers according to the canonical hours.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: llibre d'hores — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Chinese Mandarin: 時禱書 /时祷书 (shídǎoshū) — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Dutch: getijdenboek — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Finnish: tuntien kirja — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • French: livre d'heures — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • German: Stundenbuch — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Irish: leabhar na dtráthanna — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Polish: godzinki — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Russian: часосло́в (časoslóv) — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Ukrainian: часослов (časoslov) — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages
  • Welsh: llyfr oriau — illuminated devotional book from the Middle Ages