water clock

noun

Definition of water clock

: an instrument designed to measure time by the fall or flow of a quantity of water

— called also clepsydra

Examples of water clock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The need to gauge the divisions of the day and night led the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to create sundials, water clocks and other early chronometric tools. — William J. H. Andrewes, Scientific American, "Time Keeping Has a Long, Colorful History," 23 Jan. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'water clock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of water clock was in 1601

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