hour of the Monkey; around 4pm
Archaic term for the time period corresponding to the Monkey (申) in the traditional Chinese zodiac-based time system. The exact span varies by historical period, roughly 3–5pm or 4–6pm. Not used in modern timekeeping.
In the Edo period, the hour of the Monkey referred to around 4 p.m.
From 申 (さる, 'Monkey', the ninth sign of the Chinese zodiac) + の + 刻 (こく, 'time period'). The zodiac signs were used to divide the day into twelve double-hour periods.