What does clock mean?
A clock is an instrument designed to measure and display the passage of time, whether through moving hands on a dial, a digital readout, or an audible chime. Ranging from small bedside alarms to grand tower clocks, these devices organize daily life, coordinate work, and mark both mundane routines and ceremonial moments. Beyond its literal sense, 'clock' extends into figurative territory: athletes race against the clock, workers put in time around the clock, and scientists study the biological clocks that govern sleep and waking. As a verb, to clock something means to measure or record its duration or speed, as when officials clock a runner's finish time. The word carries connotations of precision, urgency, and the relentless forward march of time itself. Its history is fittingly sonorous — it derives from a medieval word for 'bell,' recalling an era when time was told by sound rather than by sight.
An instrument that measures and displays time, typically by means of hands moving over a dial or a digital display.
"The station clock showed five minutes past noon."
In British English, 'clock' can informally refer to a vehicle's speedometer or mileage recorder, as in the phrase 'the car has low miles on the clock.'
To record or measure the time, speed, or duration of someone or something; also, to register one's arrival at or departure from work.
"She clocked the fastest lap of the entire season."
'To clock in' and 'to clock out' are standard workplace terms for recording working hours. In informal British slang, 'to clock someone' means to hit them.
The plural follows the regular English pattern of adding -s.
"The antique shop displayed dozens of ornate clocks from the Victorian era."
The word 'clock' originally meant 'bell' — before clocks had faces, they announced the hours by ringing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clock
The word 'clock' comes from the medieval Latin 'clocca,' meaning bell, which was likely borrowed from a Celtic source. It entered Middle English via northern European languages such as Old North French and Middle Dutch in the fourteenth century, when mechanical timepieces were first developed. The original sense survives in related words like French 'cloche' and German 'Glocke,' both meaning bell, and the same root gave English 'cloak,' so named for its bell-like shape.
Related word forms
How clock is actually used
As a verb, 'clock' is informal in most uses: 'to clock in/out' refers to registering arrival and departure times at work, while 'to clock someone' can mean to strike them in British slang. The phrase 'around the clock' means continuously, day and night.
Easily confused with clock
A watch is a small timepiece worn on the wrist or carried in a pocket, while a clock is a larger timepiece designed to stay in one place.