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clock1

Pronunciation: /klɒk/

Translate clock | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of clock

noun

  • 1a mechanical or electrical device for measuring time, indicating hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds by hands on a round dial or by displayed figures: the church clock struck four [as modifier]:a clock face
  • (the clock) time taken as a factor in an activity, especially in competitive sports:this stage is played against the clock
  • informal a measuring device such as a speedometer, taximeter, or milometer:a car with over 82,000 miles on the clock
  • Computing an electronic device used to initiate and synchronize internal operations.
  • 2British a downy spherical seed head, especially that of a dandelion.
  • 3British informal a person’s face: I thought I recognized your clock

verb

[with object]
  • 1attain or register (a specified time, distance, or speed):Thomas has clocked up forty years service [no object]:this is a generous CD, clocking in at more than 60 minutes
  • achieve (a victory):he clocked up his first win of the year
  • record as attaining a specified time or rate:the tower operators clocked a gust at 185 mph
  • 2British informal notice or watch:I noticed him clocking her in the mirror
  • 3 informal, chiefly British hit (someone), especially on the head:someone clocked him for no good reason
  • 4British informal wind back the milometer of (a car) illegally in order to make the vehicle appear to have travelled fewer miles than it really has: beware of motorists who clock their car before selling it (as adjective clocked)they had sold clocked vehicles

Phrases

round (or around) the clock

all day and all night:I’ve got a team working around the clock [as adjective]:round-the-clock surveillance

turn (or put) back the clock

return to the past or to a previous way of doing things: we can’t turn the clock back—what’s happened has happened no revolution can turn the clock back and abolish industry

watch the clock

another way of saying clock-watch.

Phrasal Verbs

clock in (or British on)

register one’s arrival at work by means of an automatic recording clock:staff should clock in on arrival

clock out (or British off)

register one’s departure from work by means of an automatic recording clock:the night shift were clocking off

Origin:

late Middle English: from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch klocke, based on medieval Latin clocca 'bell'

clock in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of clock in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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