time of day

time of day (plural times of day)

1. The time according to the clock.
2. A loosely specified period of time, minutes or hours in duration, especially daytime, or point in time.

   "At what time of day and year are the winds strongest?" / "Winter mornings, I think."

   She would fold laundry at this time of day.

   I love that time of day. The light is magical.

3. The greeting appropriate to the time of day. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
4. (dialectal, informal, dated) era: time; day.

   that's how it was in that time of day [ = at that time, back in that day]

5. (archaic) The right thing; the ticket; that which is needed.
   • 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter name)”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:

     ‘Never mind me, Sir,’ replied Sam. ‘Lend him a hand, Mr. Winkle, sir. Steady, sir, steady! That’s the time o’ day!’

• (time according to the clock): time, clock time, o'clock (mostly dialect)
• (loosely specified period of time): time
• (loosely specified point in time): time, hour
• (greetings appropriate to the time of day):

• (times of day) time of day; dawn, morning, noon/midday, afternoon, dusk, evening, night, midnight ^{(Category: en:Times of day)}

• time of night
• time of year

• give the time of day
• time of the month

• know what's o'clock