clock
/klɒk/ · clock
noun
- An instrument used to measure or keep track of time; a non‑portable timepiece. She glanced at the grandfather clock in the hallway to see that it was almost noon.
- The odometer of a motor vehicle. The vintage Mustang's clock read 120,000 miles after the road trip.
- An electrical signal that synchronizes timing among digital circuits of semiconductor chips or modules. Engineers calibrated the system using a precise clock to ensure all processors operated in unison.
verb
- To measure the duration of something. We need to clock how long the experiment runs before drawing conclusions.
- To measure the speed of something. Police radar guns can clock a car traveling at 85 miles per hour.
- To hit someone heavily. The boxer clocked his opponent with a powerful right hook.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? The word 'clock' originally referred to a bell, and the first mechanical clocks were powered by weights that turned gears to strike the bell on the hour.