clockwork

American  

[klok-wurk] / ˈklɒkˌwɜrk /

noun

1. the mechanism of a clock.

2. any mechanism similar to that of a clock.

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idioms

1. like clockwork, with perfect regularity or precision.

   The launching of the spacecraft went off like clockwork.

clockwork British  

/ ˈklɒkˌwɜːk /

noun

1. the mechanism of a clock

2. any similar mechanism, as in a wind-up toy

3. with complete regularity and precision

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Etymology

Origin of clockwork

First recorded in 1620–30; clock ¹ + work

Example Sentences

Like clockwork, road failures and landslides tend to bring up questions about when, or if, it might make sense to abandon or reconfigure parts of Highway 1.

From Los Angeles Times

In these clocks, atoms are held in place by laser beams arranged in a lattice and serve as extremely precise "clockworks."

From Science Daily

Much of the spice’s charm is overshadowed by an ever-popular pumpkin spice craze, which peaks like clockwork at the start of autumn.

From Salon

“I don’t know what magic dust they sprinkled across the group, but since then, things have gone like clockwork,” Hunter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

"This thing worked like clockwork. That doesn't happen often," explains David Fitzgerald, a former Latin America Chief of Operations for the CIA who also worked on planning missions with the US military.

From BBC