clock

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkläk 

plural clocks

often attributive

1

: a device other than a watch for indicating or measuring time commonly by means of hands moving on a dial

broadly : any periodic system by which time is measured

2

: a registering device usually with a dial

specifically : odometer

3

: time clock

4

: a synchronizing device (as in a computer) that produces pulses at regular intervals

5

: biological clock

see also a race against the clock

clock

2 of 3

verb

clocked; clocking; clocks

transitive verb

1

a

: to time with a stopwatch or by an electric timing device

b

: to be timed at

2

: to register on a mechanical recording device

wind velocities were clocked at 80 miles per hour

3

: to hit hard

4

chiefly British : attain, realize

—usually used with up

just clocked up a million … paperback sales

—Punch

5

a

: to travel (a distance) over time

clocks more than 15,000 miles a year on business

b

: put in sense 3

clocking long hours at the office

intransitive verb

1

: to have a specified duration or speed

—used with in

the movie clocked in at just under 3 hours

broadly : to have a specified measure or value

—used with in

the meal clocked in at about $15

2

: to register on a time sheet or time clock : punch

—used with in, out, on, off

he clocked in late

clocker noun

clock

3 of 3

noun (2)

: an ornamental figure on the ankle or side of a stocking or sock

Phrases

against the clock

1

: with or within a time constraint

working against the clock

2

: with clocked speed rather than the order of finish as the criterion for placement

trial races against the clock

around the clock or less commonly round the clock

1

: continuously for 24 hours : day and night without cessation

2

: without relaxation and heedless of time

kill the clock or run out the clock

: to use up as much as possible of the playing time remaining in a game (such as football) while retaining possession of the ball or puck especially to protect a lead

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• chronometer
• timekeeper
• timepiece
• timer

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Examples of clock in a Sentence

Verb

He clocked 3 hours and 15 minutes in his last marathon.

His fastest pitch was clocked at 91 miles per hour.

The cop said she clocked me going 95 miles per hour.

I was so angry I wanted to clock him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Inside, performers will find soundproof walls, one-way glass, a lineup countdown clock, an ADA-compliant mobility lift and colorful-hued pieces from artist Kii Arens. —Julie Seabaugh, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

The main economic activity was smuggling: alcohol and cigarettes went from Spain to France, and clothes, clocks, tea, and embroidery went the other way. —Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024

Now, many longevity researchers rely on epigenetic clocks, such as Hannum’s clock, DNAm PhenoAge, and DNAm GrimAge. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2024

Salvador Dalí was known for his surreal artworks featuring melting clocks and craggy desert backgrounds, his eccentric behaviors like driving a car packed to the roof with cauliflower, and his gravity-defying mustache. —Chloe Veltman, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024

Alban Berg’s Sonata Op. 1 clocks in under 12 minutes. —Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024

On the wall, there is another clock set to 2 p.m. and a bulletin board with photos of the singer-songwriter alongside her timetable. —Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024

There is another clock on the wall pointed to 2 o'clock. —Bryan West, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

As the release of The Tortured Poets Department approaches, Swift has teased the effort with a handful of Easter eggs, including a countdown clock that launched with her favorite number, 13, and posts on social media featuring snippets of lyrics. —Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

Verb

Perry Williams, a tall man with a gentle drawl, clocked in 36 years with the city’s water department. —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, data from the International Labour Organization, last updated in January, showed the average hours workers clocked in the U.S. was 38 hours a week. —Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 25 Apr. 2024

This beast is premade with two types of gin—Boatyard Double Gin, from Northern Ireland, and the New York Distilling Company’s Perry’s Tot Navy Strength Gin—which clocks in at a ridiculous 114 proof. —Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024

Earthquakes are rare along the East Coast, with the most powerful one in the last 100 years hitting in August 2011, clocking 5.8 on the Richter scale. —Fox News, 21 Apr. 2024

With the addition of the bonus songs, The Tortured Poets Department now clocks in at 31 tracks (that’s 13 backwards). —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024

Not only did the Fed avoid a downturn, but inflation came down significantly, too: After peaking at an annual rate of 7.1 percent in mid-2022, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge clocked in at 2.5 percent in February. —Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

Those wanting to head out of town should aim for Mesquite, which is hosting a free street and dance party with a solar roller disco and a claim to having the longest totality in Texas, clocking in at four minutes and eight seconds. —Melissa Locker, TIME, 6 Apr. 2024

All the deletions make the F40 supremely lithe A tubular steel chassis and the Kevlar body panels, in concert with the removal of all other non-essential bits, leave the F40’s curb weight clocking in at 2,433 pounds. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English clok, from Middle Dutch clocke bell, clock, from Old French or Medieval Latin; Old French dialect (Picard) cloque bell, from Medieval Latin clocca, of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish clocc bell

Noun (2)

perhaps from clock entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1530, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing clock

• against the clock
• alarm clock
• a race against the clock
• around the clock
• atomic clock
• banjo clock
• beat the clock
• biological clock
• body clock
• clean one's clock
• clock off/out
• clock radio
• clock up
• clock-watcher
• cuckoo clock
• eat up/run out/kill the clock
• grandfather clock
• internal clock
• kill the clock
• longcase clock
• round the clock
• run out the clock
• shot clock
• the clock
• time clock
• turn back the clock
• watch the clock
• water clock

Kids Definition

clock

1 of 2 noun

ˈkläk 

1

: a device for measuring or telling the time and especially one not meant to be worn or carried about by a person

2

: a registering device with a dial that is attached to a machine to measure or record what it is doing

3

: a device (as in a computer) that sends out signals at regular spaces of time so that other events can happen in the correct order

clock

2 of 2 verb

1

: to time (as a person or a piece of work) by a timing device

2

: to show (as time or speed) on a recording device

he clocked in late

Etymology

Noun

Middle English clok "clock," from early Dutch clocke "bell, clock," from early French cloque "bell" or Latin clocca "bell"; of Celtic origin — related to cloak

Medical Definition

clock

noun

ˈkläk 

: biological clock