hour of the Snake; hour of the Serpent
Archaic term for the time period roughly corresponding to 9–11 AM or 10 AM–12 PM in the traditional Japanese temporal system. Used in historical or literary contexts.
In the Edo-period time system, the hour of the Snake corresponds to around 10 AM.
From 巳 (mi, 'snake', the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac) + の (no, possessive particle) + 刻 (koku, 'hour'). Part of the traditional Japanese temporal system that divided the day into twelve two-hour periods named after the zodiac signs.