clepsydra
an ancient device for measuring time by the regulated flow of water or mercury through a small aperture.
Origin of clepsydra
1Words Nearby clepsydra
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use clepsydra in a sentence
Perhaps the earliest mechanical time measure was the clepsydra, or water clock.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge | VariousTime was measured by the clepsydra, and the expression indicates that the night was far spent and dawn near.
Chinese Poems | VariousIndeed, the record on one tablet has been interpreted as noting that the astronomer's clock or clepsydra had stopped.
The Astronomy of the Bible | E. Walter MaunderThis water clock was called a clepsydra, the name being taken from two Greek words meaning 'thief of water.'
Christopher and the Clockmakers | Sara Ware BassettAs the sound of the bells died away, the last drop of water fell from the clepsydra and marked the hour of midnight.
In the Yule-Log Glow, Book II | Various
British Dictionary definitions for clepsydra
/ (ˈklɛpsɪdrə) /
an ancient device for measuring time by the flow of water or mercury through a small aperture: Also called: water clock
Origin of clepsydra
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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