internal clock
noun
1
: a system in the body that controls when a person needs to sleep, eat, etc.
The long trip upset my internal clock and I had a hard time getting to sleep.
2
: a clock or timing device that is inside a computer
Examples of internal clock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The vehicle misfired in orbit, a symptom of software problems that included a coding error that set an internal clock off by 11 hours.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 19 June 2024
Melatonin, a hormone produced by the human brain in response to darkness, helps with sleep patterns and the body’s 24-hour internal clock, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a federal agency that oversees research on alternative medicine.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 May 2024
Or should an athlete follow the traditional internal clock.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2024
That's because almost everything in our bodies — like our blood pressure, our organ systems and our cognitive function — runs on an internal clock, says Wu.
—Regina G. Barber, NPR, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for internal clock 
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 19 June 2024
Melatonin, a hormone produced by the human brain in response to darkness, helps with sleep patterns and the body’s 24-hour internal clock, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a federal agency that oversees research on alternative medicine.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 May 2024
Or should an athlete follow the traditional internal clock.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2024
That's because almost everything in our bodies — like our blood pressure, our organ systems and our cognitive function — runs on an internal clock, says Wu.
—Regina G. Barber, NPR, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for internal clock
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'internal clock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near internal clock
Cite this Entry
“Internal clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/internal%20clock. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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