clock
clock
Pronunciation
/klɒk/.
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
/l/: Voiced alveolar lateral approximant
/ɒ/: Open-mid back rounded vowel
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
Word Form Variations
Noun Forms:
Singular: clock (e.g., "The clock on the wall")
Plural: clocks (e.g., "There are many clocks in the house")
Verb Forms:
Base form/Infinitive: clock (e.g., "to clock a time")
Third-person singular present: clocks (e.g., "He clocks in at 9 AM")
Present participle: clocking (e.g., "She is clocking her fastest lap")
Past tense: clocked (e.g., "He clocked out early yesterday")
Past participle: clocked (e.g., "The car has clocked many miles")
Related Terms and Expressions (often functioning as adjectives or adverbs):
clocking (adjective, less common in general English, but can be found in some regional dialects, or as a participle acting as an adjective: "a clocking hen")
o'clock (adverb, used with numbers to indicate the exact hour, e.g., "three o'clock")
around-the-clock or round-the-clock (adjective/adverb, meaning continuously for 24 hours, e.g., "round-the-clock service")
clockmaker (noun)
clockwise (adjective/adverb)
clockwork (noun/adjective)
alarm clock (noun)
digital clock (noun)
grandfather clock (noun)
time clock (noun)
biological clock (noun)
to clock in/out (phrasal verb, to record arrival/departure time at work)
to clock up (phrasal verb, to accumulate something, e.g., miles)
to race against the clock (idiom)
to turn back the clock (idiom)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A device, typically with a face and hands or a digital display, designed to measure and indicate the passage of time by counting regular intervals.
Synonyms: timepiece, chronometer, watch (though "watch" is typically worn, "clock" is stationary)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a time-measuring device itself. Concepts like "timelessness" or "eternity" relate to the absence of measured time, not an opposite device.)
Definition 2: A measuring instrument used in various mechanical or digital contexts to register a count, speed, or other quantifiable metric, often related to performance or accumulation.
Synonyms: meter, gauge, counter, indicator, register
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms. Concepts like "estimate" or "guess" relate to the lack of precise measurement.)
Definition 3 (Informal/Slang): A person's face, especially when referring to a punch or a direct hit.
Synonyms: face, mug (slang), kisser (slang)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms in this informal sense.)
Verb
Definition 1 (Transitive): To measure, record, or achieve a specific speed, time, or quantity, often in a competitive or performance-oriented context.
Synonyms: record, register, log, achieve, hit, attain, measure
Antonyms: miss, fail (in the sense of not achieving a desired time/speed)
Definition 2 (Transitive, Informal): To hit or strike someone or something, especially with a forceful blow to the head or face.
Synonyms: hit, punch, strike, smack, wallop (informal), deck (informal)
Antonyms: caress, stroke, miss (in the sense of not hitting)
Definition 3 (Intransitive, often with "in" or "out"): To record one's arrival at or departure from work, typically using a time clock or similar system.
Synonyms: punch in/out, swipe in/out, log in/out, sign in/out
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as this refers to a specific action. "Absence" or "not working" would describe the state of not performing this action.)
Definition 4 (Transitive, Informal, British English): To notice, recognize, or observe someone or something, often subtly or unexpectedly.
Synonyms: spot, notice, discern, perceive, identify, see
Antonyms: overlook, miss, disregard, ignore
Adjective
Definition 1 (in compounds): Relating to or powered by a clock, or indicating a specific time.
Examples: clock mechanism, clock radio, clock tower
Synonyms: temporal, horological (technical), time-related
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as this describes a characteristic.)
Adverb
Definition 1 (in compounds, usually with "wise"): In the direction of the rotation of the hands of a clock.
Example: Move clockwise.
Synonyms: rightwards (in rotation), deasil (archaic/technical)
Antonyms: counter-clockwise, anti-clockwise, widdershins (archaic/technical)
Examples of Use
Books:
"He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece, noting the precise minute that had slipped away while he pondered." (Fictional novel, general use)
"The scientist carefully calibrated the atomic clock, ensuring its accuracy to the billionth of a second." (Non-fiction science book, technical use)
Newspapers:
"The runner clocked a new personal best in the marathon, finishing in just under two hours." (Sports section headline, The Daily Chronos)
"Police are working around the clock to locate the missing persons." (Local news report, The City Herald)
Online Publications:
"Is the world's 'doomsday clock' ticking faster than ever?" (Article title on a science news website, Live Science)
"The new software update allows users to clock their screen time and set usage limits." (Tech review on TechCrunch)
"Online gaming platforms have seen a massive increase in players clocking thousands of hours." (Gaming industry report on GameRant)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: (Dialogue) "Quick, look at the clock! We've only got five minutes before the train leaves!" (Action film scene, 2023)
Television Series: (Voiceover) "Every morning, he would clock in at the factory, unaware of the mystery that awaited him." (Crime drama episode, 2024)
Music/Song Lyrics: "Time keeps on ticking like a broken clock, can't stop, won't stop, till I reach the top." (Pop song lyrics, 2022)
Video Games: (On-screen display) "Current Lap Time: 0:58.34. You just clocked your fastest lap!" (Racing game, 2023)
Podcast: "Our guest today will talk about how he managed to clock over a million downloads for his independent podcast." (Creative Entrepreneurship Podcast, Episode 78, 2024)
General Public Discourse:
"I need to leave by six o'clock if I want to avoid traffic." (Everyday conversation)
"My biological clock is telling me it's time for a nap." (Casual remark)
"We clocked over 10,000 steps on our hike today!" (Social media post/conversation)
"He got clocked right in the jaw during the fight." (Informal discussion about a physical altercation)
10 Famous Quotes Using Clock
"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop." (Robert G. Ingersoll)
"Lost time is never found again." (Benjamin Franklin) [Metaphorical for the relentless ticking of the clock]
"I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times." (Everett M. Dirksen) [Though not using "clock," this quote implies the need to adapt to changing times, which a clock measures.]
"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." (William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor) [Emphasizes the importance of timing measured by a clock]
"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is to say 'I don't want to'." (Lao Tzu) [Highlights control over time, which the clock tracks]
"The clock ticks. You have to decide what you want to do and go after it." (Anonymous, common motivational phrase)
"I believe in 'thinking outside the box,' but it's important to clock in and do the work too." (Lesser-known, but common sentiment in business discourse)
"My advice is, never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time." (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield) [Refers to time, the substance measured by a clock]
"The trouble with the future is that it usually arrives before we've finished with the present." (Anonymous) [Underscores the constant progression measured by the clock]
"Every day is a fresh start, a new page to turn in the book of life, but the clock keeps moving forward, regardless." (Original quote, reflecting common understanding)
Etymology
The word "clock" has a fascinating journey through language! It actually comes from words that originally meant "bell."
Here's a breakdown:
The Root: "Bell"
The ultimate origin of "clock" can be traced back to the Medieval Latin word "clocca", which meant "bell." This word itself is thought to have come from a Celtic word, possibly klokkos, which might have been onomatopoeic, meaning it sounded like the ringing or clanging of early bells.Spreading through Europe:
This "bell" word then spread to other European languages. It became "cloque" in Old French and "klocke" in Middle Dutch and Middle Low German.Arrival in English:
The English word "clock" likely entered our language from these Dutch and Low German forms.First Known Use and Meaning:
The earliest known use of "clock" in English, as a noun referring to a time-measuring device, dates back to the 14th century (around 1370).
It's important to understand that in its earliest sense, a "clock" wasn't necessarily a device with a face and hands like we picture today. Instead, it was more specifically a mechanical timekeeping device that was able to mark the time by striking or chiming bells. Think of a church tower with a large bell that would ring out the hours. So, the word for the bell became the word for the device that used the bell to tell time. This is why many older clocks even today still have chimes or bells.
Over time, as clocks became more advanced and silent timepieces also emerged, the distinction between a "clock" (that struck the hour) and a "timepiece" (that didn't) faded, and "clock" became the general term for any device that measures and displays time.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Clock
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "clock":
Around the clock / Round the clock: Continuously, 24 hours a day.
Against the clock / Race against the clock: To work or act very quickly because there is very little time.
Clock in / Clock out: To record one's arrival at or departure from work.
Clock up: To accumulate a significant amount of something (e.g., miles, hours, achievements).
Turn back the clock: To return to an earlier time or state.
What makes him/her tick? (Using "tick" as a synonym for the clock's sound): What motivates or drives a person?
Punch the clock: To record one's work hours, often implying a routine or monotonous job.
Like clockwork: With perfect regularity and precision.
Biological clock: The natural internal mechanism that regulates sleeping and waking cycles and other bodily functions.
To get one's clock cleaned: (Slang) To be severely beaten, especially in a fight.
To watch the clock: To be impatient for time to pass, especially when at work.
The clock is ticking: Time is running out.
Wind the clock back: (Similar to 'turn back the clock') To return to an earlier state or situation.
Set the clock back/forward: To adjust a clock for daylight saving time or a new time zone.
My clock's off: (Lesser-known) My internal sense of time or routine is disrupted.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of clock from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
