中ちゅう刻こく

noun

middle third of a two-hour period

Historical Japanese timekeeping term referring to the middle segment of a traditional two-hour unit (刻). Rare in modern usage, mostly encountered in historical contexts.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの時じ刻こく制せい度どでは、一いっ刻こくを三さん分ぶん割かつし、その真まん中なかを中ちゅう刻こくと呼よんだ。

  In the Edo-period time system, one koku was divided into three parts, and the middle part was called chūkoku.