/ klɒk; NAmE klɑːk/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] an instrument for measuring and showing time, in a room or on the wall of a building (not worn or carried like a watch) :
It was ten past six by the kitchen clock.
The clock struck twelve / midnight.
The clock is fast / slow .
The clock has stopped.
the clock face (= the front part of a clock with the numbers on)
The hands of the clock crept slowly around.
Ellen heard the loud ticking of the clock in the hall.
—see also alarm clock , biological clock , body clock , carriage clock , cuckoo clock , grandfather clock , o'clock , time clock
2.
the clock [ sing. ] ( informal ) = milometer :
a used car with 20 000 miles on the clock
•
IDIOMS
- against the clock
- around / round the clock
- put the clocks forward / back
- put / turn the clock back
- run down / out the clock
- the clocks go forward / back
—more at beat verb , race noun , stop verb , watch verb
■ verb
1.
[ vn ] to reach a particular time or speed :
He clocked 10.09 seconds in the 100 metres final.
2.
clock sb/sth (at sth) to measure the speed at which sb/sth is travelling :
[ vn -ing ]
The police clocked her doing over 100 miles an hour.
[ vn ]
Wind gusts at 80 m.p.h. were clocked at Rapid City.
3.
( BrE , informal ) to notice or recognize sb :
[ vn ]
I clocked her in the driving mirror.
[also v wh- , v that ]
4.
[ vn ] ( BrE , informal ) to illegally reduce the number of miles shown on a vehicle's milometer (= instrument that measures the number of miles it has travelled) in order to make the vehicle appear to have travelled fewer miles than it really has
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- clock in / on
- clock out / off
- clock up sth
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch klocke , based on medieval Latin clocca bell.