sweep hand

American

noun

Horology.

a hand, usually a second hand, centrally mounted with the minute and hour hands of a timepiece and reaching to the edge of the dial.

sweep hand British

noun

horology a long hand that registers seconds or fractions of seconds on the perimeter of the dial

"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

Etymology

Origin of sweep hand

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

See Examples For:

sweep hand

He watched the sweep hand on the chronometer.

From Treachery in Outer Space by Louis Glanzman

The sweep hand on the chronometer made its rounds several times before he answered.

From Unwise Child by Randall Garrett

The sweep hand only moved when he looked at it, apparently.

From Hail to the Chief by John Schoenherr

It also said six; and its sweep hand did not sweep.

From The Six Fingers of Time by R. A. Lafferty

Satisfied, he fastened his eyes on the sweep hand of the time clock.

From Stand by for Mars! by Louis Glanzman

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