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

"You've got fans leaving at three o'clock in the morning or you're going the night before and having to pay for a hotel."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

I whispered as I brought my rod to the 2 o’clock position.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

So it’ll be, like, 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning, and it’s dark, but the palm trees are silhouetted in the sky.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

By eleven o’clock that morning, the school is deserted except for the Jesuit professors.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly