clock

[ klok ]

/ klɒk /

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See synonyms for: clock / clocked / clocking on Thesaurus.com

noun

an instrument for measuring and recording time, especially by mechanical means, usually with hands or changing numbers to indicate the hour and minute: not designed to be worn or carried about.

time clock.

a meter or other device, as a speedometer or taximeter, for measuring and recording speed, distance covered, or other quantitative functioning.

biological clock.

Clock, Astronomy. the constellation Horologium.

Computers. the circuit in a digital computer that provides a common reference train of electronic pulses for all other circuits.

verb (used with object)

to time, test, or determine by means of a clock or watch: The racehorse was clocked at two minutes thirty seconds.

Slang. to strike sharply or heavily: Somebody clocked him on the face.

Verb Phrases

clock in, to begin work, especially by punching a time clock: She clocked in at 9 on the dot.

clock out, to end work, especially by punching a time clock: He clocked out early yesterday.

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about clock

around the clock,

during all 24 hours; ceaselessly.
without stopping for rest; tirelessly: working around the clock to stem the epidemic.

clean (someone's) clock, Informal. defeat; vanquish.

kill the clock, Sports. to use up as much game time as possible when one is winning, as to protect a lead in basketball, ice hockey, or football.Also run out the clock.

stop the clock, to postpone an official or legal deadline by ceasing to count the hours that elapse, as when a new union contract must be agreed upon before an old contract runs out.

Origin of clock

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English clok(ke), from Middle Dutch clocke “bell, clock,” or Old French cloke, cloque, from Medieval Latin clocca, perhaps of Celtic origin (compare Old Irish clocc “bell,” Old Cornish cloch ); ultimately of imitative origin; cf. cloak

Words nearby clock

cloam, clobber, clobbering machine, clochard, cloche, clock, clocker, clock golf, clock-hour, clock in, clock jack

Other definitions for clock (2 of 2)

clock²

[ klok ]

/ klɒk /

noun

a short embroidered or woven ornament on each side or on the outer side of a sock or stocking, extending from the ankle upward.

verb (used with object)

to embroider with such an ornament.

Origin of clock

First recorded in 1510–20; origin uncertain

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

How to use clock in a sentence

The body clock shifts, making it easier to stay up late and harder to wake early.
Explainer: What is puberty?|Esther Landhuis|August 27, 2020|Science News For Students
This clock can distinguish between different colors of light.
Explainer: How our eyes make sense of light|Tina Hesman Saey|July 16, 2020|Science News For Students
In the future, even more precise atomic clocks could provide further information about what makes the universe tick.
The universe might have a fundamental clock that ticks very, very fast|Emily Conover|July 13, 2020|Science News
They had bedrooms next to the rooms where their animals were being deprived so they could monitor around the clock.
Why Sleep Deprivation Kills|Veronique Greenwood|June 4, 2020|Quanta Magazine

So the merchants of bad, as we call them, are just going at us around the clock trying to sell us their wares.
Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 7, 2020|Freakonomics
France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.
LIVE Coverage of the Paris Terror Attacks||January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The wine cellar—one of the best in the world—survived World War II and is guarded around the clock.
Inside The World’s 10 Oldest Restaurants|Justin Jones|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They thrive on packed schedules, they say, and take pleasure in working around the clock.
How the Property Brothers Became Your Mom’s Favorite TV Stars|Kevin Fallon|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He becomes increasingly paranoid by the societal fixtures around him—a ticking clock, a ringing phone.
‘Interstellar’ Is Wildly Ambitious, Very Flawed, and Absolutely Worth Seeing|Marlow Stern|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bill Haley had kicked rock off with “Rock Around the Clock,” but Elvis Presley made it an international phenomenon.
How Rock and Roll Killed Jim Crow|Dennis McNally|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The night wore on, and the clock downstairs was striking the hour of two when she suddenly awakened.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The clock struck ten, and clerks poured in faster than ever, each one in a greater perspiration than his predecessor.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
As it came near, it proved to be the clock, with a sail hoisted, and the Goblin sitting complacently in the stern.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
A clock was put above the spot where the fountain stood, in April, 1852, which cost £60.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
The tower has four clock faces, pinnacles at the angles, and a steep slate roof and is 120 feet high.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell

British Dictionary definitions for clock (1 of 2)

clock¹

/ (klɒk) /

noun

a timepiece, usually free-standing, hanging, or built into a tower, having mechanically or electrically driven pointers that move constantly over a dial showing the numbers of the hoursCompare digital clock, watch (def. 7)

any clocklike device for recording or measuring, such as a taximeter or pressure gauge

the downy head of a dandelion that has gone to seed

an electrical circuit that generates pulses at a predetermined rate

computing an electronic pulse generator that transmits streams of regular pulses to which various parts of the computer and its operations are synchronized

short for time clock

around the clock or round the clock all day and all night

the clock an informal word for speedometer, mileometer

British a slang word for face

against the clock

under pressure, as to meet a deadline
(in certain sports, such as show jumping) timed by a stop clockthe last round will be against the clock

put the clock back to regress

verb

(tr) British, Australian and NZ slang to strike, esp on the face or head

(tr) British slang to see or notice

(tr) to record time as with a stopwatch, esp in the calculation of speed

electronics to feed a clock pulse to (a digital device) in order to cause it to switch to a new state

Derived forms of clock

clocker, nounclocklike, adjective

Word Origin for clock

C14: from Middle Dutch clocke clock, from Medieval Latin clocca bell, ultimately of Celtic origin

British Dictionary definitions for clock (2 of 2)

clock²

/ (klɒk) /

noun

an ornamental design either woven in or embroidered on the side of a stocking

Word Origin for clock

C16: from Middle Dutch clocke, from Medieval Latin clocca bell

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with clock

clock

In addition to the idioms beginning with clock

clock in
clock is ticking, the
clock up

also see:

against the clock
beat the clock
clean someone's clock
like clock-work
set back (the clock)
stop someone's clock
stop the clock

clock

Idioms about clock

Origin of clock

Words nearby clock

Other definitions for clock (2 of 2)

Origin of clock

Words related to clock

How to use clock in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clock (1 of 2)

Derived forms of clock

Word Origin for clock

British Dictionary definitions for clock (2 of 2)

Word Origin for clock

Other Idioms and Phrases with clock