witching hour

== English == === Etymology === From witching (“of or pertaining to witchcraft or sorcery, or to witches or sorcerers”, adjective) +‎ hour. Sense 1 (“midnight”) was popularized by the reference to the “witching time of night” in the play Hamlet (written c. 1599–1602; published 1603) by William Shakespeare (1564–1616): see the quotation. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɪt͡ʃɪŋ ˌaʊə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈwɪt͡ʃɪŋ ˌaʊ(ə)ɹ/ Hyphenation: witch‧ing hour === Noun === witching hour (plural witching hours) (chiefly literary or poetic) Often preceded by the: midnight, when witches and other supernatural beings were thought to be active, and to which bad luck was ascribed; also (generally), the middle of the night, when unfortunate things are thought to be more likely to occur; the dead of night. (by extension) A time of day, usually in the early evening, when babies and young children are more fretful and likely to cry or fuss. (originally and chiefly US, stock market) The final hour of trading each month during which certain stock options expire, leading to a higher trading volume and greater price volatility. (occult, less common) The hour between 3:00 and 3:59 a.m., associated with demons. [from late 20th c.] ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === sundowning === References === === Further reading === witching hour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia