sundial

noun

sun·​di·​al ˈsən-ˌdī(-ə)l How to pronounce sundial (audio)
: an instrument to show the time of day by the shadow of a gnomon on a usually horizontal plate or on a cylindrical surface

Examples of sundial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Not only this, but fascinated by the sundials and time-telling monuments inside the course, Hovland reportedly skipped swing practice to soak in the heritage. Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 The first sundials and water clocks were determined to have been used in 1200 B.C. by the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2025 Days sometimes may feel like mere hours when times are good, and the moments may barely tick by in a dull day, but the passage of Earth around the sun hasn’t changed in an easily measurable way since humans first started using sundials. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2025 If sundials revolutionized time measurement in the 1400s BC, quartz brought timekeeping into the 20th century and silicon brought it into the 21st century. Markus Lutz, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sundial

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sundial was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Sundial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sundial. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sundial

noun
sun·​di·​al -ˌdī(-ə)l How to pronounce sundial (audio)
: a device to show the time of day by the position of the shadow cast on a marked plate or disk usually by an object with a straight edge

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