grandfather clock

noun

: a tall pendulum clock that stands on the floor

called also grandfather, grandfather's clock

Examples of grandfather clock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Humans have long kept time to regular phenomena, from the waxing and waning of the moon to the lulling swings of the pendulum in a grandfather clock. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 The miniature grandfather clock never ticked in Greg Allison’s childhood. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024 One, however, was missing: a miniature grandfather clock. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024 While waiting for the maître d’, a customer could step on an antique scale the size of a grandfather clock. Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grandfather clock 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grandfather clock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from the song My Grandfather's Clock (1876) by Henry C. Work †1884 American songwriter

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grandfather clock was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near grandfather clock

Cite this Entry

“Grandfather clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grandfather%20clock. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

grandfather clock

noun
: a tall clock standing directly on the floor

More from Merriam-Webster on grandfather clock

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