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grandmother's clock

American  
Or grandmother clock

noun

  1. a pendulum clock similar to a grandfather's clock but shorter.

Etymology

Origin of grandmother's clock

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“That’s very different than if you give your grandmother’s clock to a pawnshop and they don’t pay you,” she said.

From New York Times • May 3, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.