atomic clock

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noun

an extremely accurate electronic clock regulated by the resonance frequency of atoms or molecules of certain substances, as cesium.

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Origin of atomic clock

First recorded in 1935–40

Words nearby atomic clock

atom, atom-bomb, atomic, atomic age, atomic bomb, atomic clock, atomic cocktail, atomic energy, Atomic Energy Authority, Atomic Energy Commission, atomic force microscope

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use atomic clock in a sentence

An atomic clock that could transform deep-space travel has successfully completed its first test run in space.
An atomic clock that could revolutionize space travel just passed its first test|Maria Temming|June 30, 2021|Science News
Ultraprecise, refrigerator-sized atomic clocks on the ground measure that round trip time — which can take hours — to pinpoint a spacecraft’s location.
An atomic clock that could revolutionize space travel just passed its first test|Maria Temming|June 30, 2021|Science News
That’s comparable to ground-based atomic clocks currently used for deep-space navigation, says DSAC principal investigator Todd Ely, also at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
An atomic clock that could revolutionize space travel just passed its first test|Maria Temming|June 30, 2021|Science News
It could also make it possible to create instantaneous links between large networks of quantum sensors or atomic clocks, to measure phenomena like gravitational waves in unprecedented resolution or provide ultra-precise timekeeping.
Scientists in Spain Just Got a Step Closer to Building a Practical Quantum Repeater|Edd Gent|June 14, 2021|Singularity Hub

Notably, nuclei are resistant to the effects of stray electric or magnetic fields that can hinder atomic clocks.
Nuclear clocks could outdo atomic clocks as the most precise timepieces|Emily Conover|June 4, 2021|Science News

British Dictionary definitions for atomic clock

atomic clock

noun

an extremely accurate clock in which an electrical oscillator is controlled by the natural vibrations of an atomic or molecular system such as caesium or ammonia

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for atomic clock

atomic clock

An extremely precise clock whose rate is controlled by a periodic process (such as vibration, or the absorption or emission of electromagnetic radiation) that occurs at a steady rate in atoms or molecules. The standard atomic clock is based on the vibrations of cesium atoms and is so accurate that it would gain or lose less than one second in three million years. Atomic clocks are used to help track satellites, run navigation systems, and study movements of the Earth's crust.

Cultural definitions for atomic clock

atomic clock

The most accurate clock available. Time is measured by the movement of electrons in cesium atoms. The standard second is now defined by measurements on an atomic clock.