water clock

American  

noun

1. a device, as a clepsydra, for measuring time by the flow of water.

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water clock British  

noun

1. any of various devices for measuring time that use the escape of water as the motive force

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Etymology

Origin of water clock

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

It’s a water clock, based on a constant flow of water, but it’s a mechanical device.

From Scientific American • Jan. 28, 2022

On the left side the Dutch physicist Christian Huyghens is depicted demonstrating the first pendulum clock, which he invented in 1656, and on the right side there is a Roman senator holding a water clock.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2020

The sundial’s nocturnal counterpart, the water clock, was designed to measure temporal hours at night.

From Scientific American • Dec. 31, 2011

But on its own small scale, the water clock is a marvel.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2011

The water clock, built five hundred years ago, is composed of three copper vessels placed on top of each other with an indicator in the lower one.

From My Trip Around the World August, 1895-May, 1896 by Hunt, Eleonora