o'clock

American  

[uh-klok] / əˈklɒk /

adverb

1. of, by, or according to the clock (used in specifying the hour of the day).

   It is now 4 o'clock.

2. according to a method for indicating relative position whereby a plane in space is considered to be numbered as a clock's face, with 12 o'clock considered as directly ahead in horizontal position or straight up in vertical position.

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o'clock British  

/ əˈklɒk /

adverb

1. used after a number from one to twelve to indicate the hour of the day or night

2. used after a number to indicate direction or position relative to the observer, twelve o'clock being directly ahead or overhead and other positions being obtained by comparisons with a clock face

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Etymology

Origin of o'clock

First recorded in 1710–20; from o', a reduced form of of; see o' + clock ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

o'clock

Inside Murillo’s market, business picked up as 5 o’clock neared.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

At around seven o'clock last Saturday morning, dozens of men dressed in black climbed into the backs of lorries in a quiet Kent village called Preston-next-Wingham.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

"So, if I was a bit tired at four o'clock in the afternoon, I used to just go into my bag and go..."

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

And last week we did like a full day of shooting — not a full-full day, but like 10 to 3 o’clock, and by the end of it, I was, like, “This is killing me.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

"It's exactly one minute after three o'clock in the United States," Bess reported.

From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene