atomic clock
noun
: a precision clock that depends for its operation on an electrical oscillator regulated by the natural vibration frequencies of an atomic system (such as a beam of cesium atoms)
Examples of atomic clock in a Sentence
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Fun fact: The shortest day on record Since the first atomic clocks were developed in the 1950s and 1960s, the shortest day recorded was July 5, 2024, which was 1.66 milliseconds less than the standard 24-hour period.
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Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025
The system comprises a network of atomic clocks housed at four secure facilities across the country, including Teddington.
—William Ralston, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2022
Last year, on July 5, 2024, Earth experienced the shortest day ever recorded since the advent of the atomic clock 65 years ago, at 1.66 milliseconds less than 24 hours.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 July 2025
From when records began (with the invention of the atomic clock) in 1973 until 2020, the shortest day ever recorded was 1.05 milliseconds less than 24 hours, according to Timeanddate.com.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 21 July 2025
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Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2025
The system comprises a network of atomic clocks housed at four secure facilities across the country, including Teddington.
—William Ralston, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2022
Last year, on July 5, 2024, Earth experienced the shortest day ever recorded since the advent of the atomic clock 65 years ago, at 1.66 milliseconds less than 24 hours.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 July 2025
From when records began (with the invention of the atomic clock) in 1973 until 2020, the shortest day ever recorded was 1.05 milliseconds less than 24 hours, according to Timeanddate.com.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atomic clock
Cite this Entry
“Atomic clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atomic%20clock. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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