twelve-hour clock

American  

[twelv-ou^uhr klok, ou-er] / ˈtwɛlvˌaʊər ˈklɒk, ˌaʊ ər /

Or 12-hour clock

noun

1. a system of time measurement in which the day is divided into two twelve-hour periods, both midnight and noon are 12:00, and the hours following each are numbered from 1:00 to 11:00 a.m. or p.m.

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Etymology

Origin of twelve-hour clock

First recorded in 1870–80

Example Sentences

Indeed, she was like a little, twelve-hour clock, vis-a-vis with the enormous clock of eternity—there she was, like Dignity and Impudence, or Impudence and Dignity.

From Women in Love by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)