From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_048_dclockclock1 /klɒk $ klɑːk/ ●●● S2 W3 noun [countable] 1 TMCan instrument that shows what time it is, in a room or outside on a building I heard the clock strike six (=make six loud sounds). The station clock was ten minutes slow (=showed a time ten minutes earlier than the real time).by the hall/kitchen/church etc clock (=according to a particular clock) What time is it by the kitchen clock? → watch the clock at watch1(8)2 → around the clock3 → put/turn the clock back4 → put the clock(s) back/forward5 → the clocks go back/forward6 → against the clock7 → twenty-four hour clock8 → start/stop the clock9 → the clock is ticking10 → the clock11 → run out the clock/kill the clock → biological clock, body clock, dandelion clock, time clockCOLLOCATIONSverbslook/glance at the clockShe looked at the clock. It was eight thirty.the clock says eight/nine etc (=shows a particular time)The clock said five so I went back to sleep.a clock strikes eight/nine etc (=makes eight/nine etc sounds according to the hour)In the distance I heard a church clock strike eleven.a clock ticks (=makes regular quiet sounds that show it is working)There was no sound in the room apart from a clock ticking.a clock is fast/slow (=shows a later or earlier time than the real time)There’s no need to hurry – that clock’s fast.a clock stops (=stops working)My clock had stopped at 6 am so the alarm didn’t work.an alarm clock goes off (=rings at a particular time)What time do you want the alarm clock to go off tomorrow?set a clock (=make it say the right time)Don’t forget to set your clocks to summer time.wind (up) a clock (=turn a key to keep it working)It was one of those old clocks that you have to wind up.phrasesthe hands of/on a clock (=the long thin pieces that point at the numbers)The hands on the clock said ten past two.the face of a clock/the clock face (=the front part that you look at)I couldn’t see the clock face from where I was sitting.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + clockthe kitchen/sitting-room etc clockHarry glanced at the kitchen clock and saw that he was late.an alarm clock (=that makes a noise to wake you up)He forgot to set his alarm clock.a wall clock (=that hangs on a wall)A loud ticking came from the wall clock. a grandfather clock (=an old-style tall clock that stands on the floor)Where did you get that beautiful grandfather clock?a digital clock (=that shows the time as numbers that keep changing)A digital clock at the finish line shows runners their times.a travel/travelling clock (=a small one for taking on journeys)a cuckoo clock (=a clock with a wooden bird inside that comes out every hour and makes a sound)a church clock (=one on the outside of a church tower)a carriage clock British English (=a clock inside a glass case with a handle on top)COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘the clock shows five o’clock’. Say the clock says five o’clock.
Examples from the Corpus
clock• In essence, fire is networked to a clock.• He covered her with a blanket and set the alarm clock to ring in an hour, wrapping it in a towel.• It has volleyball, softball, concerts, and art shows around the clock.• As the clock struck twelve, the Judge placed the black hat on his head.• He would drift off to sleep again, only to wake and look at the clock.• The clock probably came from elsewhere in London.• Two garden seats went at £155; a Vienna wall clock made £190 and a school clock £90.clockclock2 verb [transitive] 1 MEASUREto cover a distance in a particular time, or to reach a particular speed in a race Karen won in the 300 metres, clocking 42.9 seconds. the first steam engine to clock 100 miles an hour2 TMto measure or record the time or speed that someone or something is travelling atclock somebody at/doing something The police clocked him doing between 100 and 110 miles per hour.3 British English informal to notice someone or something, or to look at them carefully Did you clock the bloke by the door?4 British English to reduce the number of miles or kilometres shown on the instrument in a car that says how far it has gone, in order to sell the car for more money He knew the car had been clocked, but he couldn’t prove it. → clock in/on → clock off → clock out → clock up something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
clock• Livingstone clocked 18 mins 6 secs for the 3 1/2 miles in heavy rain, beating Vose by ten metres.• The runner from Lynbrook clocked the fastest time this season on the mile run.• Roemer now recognized that earlier attempts to clock the speed of light had failed because the distances tested were too short.• But he'd soon shut up if he clocked the Stud Hoss in the car park.From Longman Business Dictionaryclockclock /klɒkklɑːk/ verb → clock in → clock off → clock up something→ See Verb tableOrigin clock1 (1300-1400) Middle Dutch clocke “bell, clock”, from Medieval Latin clocca “bell”, from a Celtic language 