astronomical clock

American  

noun

1. a clock indicating or representing the movements of the sun or planets, the phases of the moon, or the sky visible at a given time, used as a means of establishing time or for additional information, as locating celestial bodies or timing their movement.

2. a clock used for observing the apparent time of the meridian passages of heavenly bodies.

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astronomical clock British  

noun

1. a complex clock showing astronomical phenomena, such as the phases of the moon

2. any clock showing sidereal time used in observatories

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Etymology

Origin of astronomical clock

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

astronomical clock

The ornate astronomical clock that sits on the ancient Old Town Hall was finished in the 15th.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

Inside, the astronomical clock gets all the visitor love, but what stole my attention was the tapestry exhibition.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 16, 2021

On the front there is the first astronomical clock in the town hall of Padua, Italy, in 1364.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2020

Nearby is the astronomical clock, originally completed before 1422, but starkly refinished in the Socialist Realist style in 1955.

From New York Times ● Jun. 12, 2019

The ultimate ignominy came the day Father set the astronomical clock by the radio.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom