clock1 nounclock2 verb
clockclock1 /klɒk $ klɑːk/ ●●● S2 W3 noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINclock1
Origin:
1300-1400 Middle Dutch clocke ‘bell, clock’, from Medieval Latin clocca ‘bell’, from a Celtic languageEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- As the clock struck twelve, the Judge placed the black hat on his head.
- He covered her with a blanket and set the alarm clock to ring in an hour, wrapping it in a towel.
- He would drift off to sleep again, only to wake and look at the clock.
- In essence, fire is networked to a clock.
- It has volleyball, softball, concerts, and art shows around 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.
Longman Language Activatornot stopping, even at night
continuously, all day and all night: · During his illness, his wife was by his side day and night.· The printing presses run day and night.· My next-door neighbor's dog barks continually, day and night.
also round the clock British if you work around the clock , you work all day and all night without a break, especially because there is something very urgent that you have to do: · Since the outbreak of war, journalists have been working round the clock.· Rescuers are working round the clock to find survivors of the blast.
: twenty-four-hour service/guard/care etc a service etc that is done or provided continuously, all day and all night: · Twenty-four-hour medical care is provided.· The police cannot provide 24-hour protection for everyone.
informal happening, done, or existing 24 hours a day and seven days a week and never stopping: · The hotline is open 24/7 to teenagers who need someone to talk to.· Do you think about this guy 24/7?
to be in a situation in which you must hurry · I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry. I can't stop now.· Some people always seem to be in a hurry.be in a hurry to do something · Would you like to stay for a coffee, or are you in a hurry to leave?
to be in a situation when you must hurry because you do not have enough time for what you have to do: · I don't want to seem rude but I'm very pressed for time. Could I call you back later?· I can't stop right now, I'm a little pushed for time.
to work as quickly as you can because you only have a short time to finish something: · In advertising you're always working against the clock, trying to meet deadlines.work/race against the clock to do something: · We really had to work against the clock to finish the report on time.
a situation in which you have to work extremely quickly, especially in order to do something very important, because there is not much time to do it in: · Battleship repair crews swung into action in a race against time· In an urgent race against time, the Coast Guard and marine biologists struggled to rescue a whale that had beached itself on the shore.
a situation or time in which you hurry: · I had forgotten my wallet in the usual Monday morning rush.· There was a furious rush to have everything ready for the opening night.
to try to do things as they were done in the past to return to an earlier time in your life, so that you can experience something again or change something that you did then - use this to say that you wish you could do this: go back to: · I wish I could go back to my school days.· Wouldn't it be nice if we could go back to the days when life was slower than it is today.you can't go back: · It's no use having regrets. You can't go back!
to live part of your life again, so that you could do something in a different way, or experience something again: · If I could turn the clock back, I don't think I'd study law again.put/turn the clock back to: · It would be nice to put the clock back to the years when Mum and Dad were still alive.
to try to behave or live as you did at some time in the past, usually because you do not like your present situation or you are unhappy that things have changed: · It's no good living in the past. You have to get on with your life.· As people get older, they often tend to live in the past.
WORD SETSAD, advance, verbafter, prepositionafternoon, nounalarm, nounalarm clock, nouna.m., Anno Domini, annual, adjectiveApril, nounAsh Wednesday, nounAug., August, nounautumn, nounautumnal, adjectivebank holiday, nounBC, BCE, biannual, adjectivebicentenary, nounbicentennial, nounbiennial, adjectivebimonthly, adjectivebirthday, nounbiweekly, adjectivebonfire night, nounBoxing Day, nounBritish Summer Time, nounBST, nouncalendar, nouncalendar month, nouncalendar year, nouncarriage clock, nouncentenary, nouncentury, nounChristmas, nounChristmas Day, nounChristmas Eve, nounChristmastime, nounchronograph, nounchronological, adjectivechronometer, nouncircadian, adjectiveclock, nouncrystal, nouncuckoo clock, nouncycle, nouncyclic, adjectivedaily, adjectivedaily, adverbdate, noundate, verbdawn, nounday, nounDec., decade, nounDecember, noundiamond anniversary, noundiamond jubilee, noundinnertime, noundiurnal, adjectived.o.b., due date, noundusk, nounface, nounFather's Day, nounfeast, nounFebruary, nounfortnightly, adjectiveFourth of July, the, Fri., Friday, nounGood Friday, nounGreenwich Mean Time, nounGregorian calendar, nounguy, nounGuy Fawkes Night, nounhalf-hourly, adjectivehalf-yearly, adjectiveHalloween, nounhand, nounHanukkah, nounharvest festival, nounHogmanay, nounhorn, nounhour, nounhourglass, nounhour hand, nounhr, Independence Day, nounJan., January, nounjubilee, nounJuly, nounJune, nounLabor Day, nounleap year, nounlunar month, nounmainspring, nounman-hour, nounMar., March, nounMardi Gras, nounmarket day, nounMaundy Thursday, nounMay, nounMay Day, nounMichaelmas, nounmidday, nounmiddle age, nounmiddle-aged, adjectivemidnight, nounMidsummer Day, nounmidweek, adjectivemillennium, nounmin., minute hand, nounMon., Monday, nounmonth, nounmorn, nounmorning, nounMothering Sunday, nounMother's Day, nounmovable feast, nounnew moon, nounNew Year, nounNew Year's Day, nounNew Year's Eve, nounnight, nounnightfall, nounnighttime, nounnocturnal, adjectiveNoel, nounnoon, nounnoonday, adjectiveNov., November, nounOct., October, nounp.a., Pancake Day, nounPDT, penultimate, adjectiveper annum, adverbper diem, adverbperiodic, adjectivep.m., PST, public holiday, nounquarter, nounquotidian, adjectiveRemembrance Day, nounSat., Saturday, nounschoolday, nounseason, nounsecond, nounsecond hand, nounself-winding, adjectiveSeptember, nounshockproof, adjectivesilver anniversary, nounsilver jubilee, nounsilver wedding anniversary, nounsolar year, nounsolstice, nounspring, nounspringtime, nounstandard time, nounstopwatch, nounsummer, nounsummer solstice, nounsummertime, nounsummery, adjectiveSun., Sunday, nounsundown, nounsunrise, nounsunset, nounsun-up, nountercentenary, nounThanksgiving, nounthirty, numberThursday, nountime, nountime, verbtimepiece, nountimer, nountime signal, nountime warp, nountime zone, nountoday, adverbtoday, nountomorrow, adverbtomorrow, nountonight, adverbtonight, nountriennial, adjectiveTuesday, nountwilight, nounWed., Wednesday, nounweek, nounweekday, nounweekend, nounweekly, adjectiveweeknight, nounWhit, nounWhitsun, nounwinter, nounwintertime, nounwk., wristwatch, nounyear, nounyesterday, adverbyr., Yule, nounYuletide, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
career women who hear the biological clock ticking The clocks go forward this weekend. The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship. The bell tower was added to the church in 1848. It’s just turned three. Forty police officers are working round the clock (=working day and night without stopping) to find Murray’s killer.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· She looked at the clock. It was eight thirty.
(=shows a particular time)· The clock said five so I went back to sleep.
(=makes eight/nine etc sounds according to the hour)· In the distance I heard a church clock strike eleven.
(=makes regular quiet sounds that show it is working)· There was no sound in the room apart from a clock ticking.
(=shows a later or earlier time than the real time)· There’s no need to hurry – that clock’s fast.
(=stops working)· My clock had stopped at 6 am so the alarm didn’t work.
(=rings at a particular time)· What time do you want the alarm clock to go off tomorrow?
(=make it say the right time)· Don’t forget to set your clocks to summer time.
(=turn a key to keep it working)· It was one of those old clocks that you have to wind up.
phrases (=the long thin pieces that point at the numbers)· The hands on the clock said ten past two.
(=the front part that you look at)· I couldn’t see the clock face from where I was sitting.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + clock· Harry glanced at the kitchen clock and saw that he was late.
(=that makes a noise to wake you up)· He forgot to set his alarm clock.
(=that hangs on a wall)· A loud ticking came from the wall clock.
(=an old-style tall clock that stands on the floor)· Where did you get that beautiful grandfather clock?
(=that shows the time as numbers that keep changing)· A digital clock at the finish line shows runners their times.
(=a small one for taking on journeys)
(=a clock with a wooden bird inside that comes out every hour and makes a sound)
(=one on the outside of a church tower)
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.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES career women who hear the biological clock ticking (=all day and all night)· He needs round-the-clock care.
(=at exactly 3:00/7:30 etc) Mr Green arrived at six on the dot.
Mr Green arrived at six on the dot. The clocks go forward this weekend. The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship. The bell tower was added to the church in 1848. It’s just turned three. Forty police officers are working round the clock (=working day and night without stopping) to find Murray’s killer.· It's the men now, as often as not, who hear the biological clock ticking loudest.· We watch commercials for pregnancy testers that warn women to remember their biological clocks.· The way Max's biological clock is ticking, it's a wonder Emma didn't call out the bomb squad.· Unlike mechanical clocks, which are completely blind to their surroundings, a biological clock gets reset every day by the sun.· The ticking of the biological clock.· Of course, nature being unjust as ever, I have no biological clock of my own.· You are an owl-and-lark couple, people whose biological clocks simply don't match.
· Her gold watch and her digital clock agree that it is nineteen minutes past eight.· Smith looked at his watch, at the wall clock, at the digital clock.· As she descended the escalator towards the platforms, she noticed the digital clock in the ceiling.· The digital 24-hour clock, for instance, can be set with one hand.· I look at the digital clock, built into the bedside.· As I move round I see the numerals of a digital clock.· The digital clock was counting down towards the performance.
· This theory also implies that the internal body clock takes up to five years to develop fully.· When users set the alarm in the internal clock, they would click on a picture of a rooster.· His internal clock indicated that his energy levels were at zero.· There is no pill of which we are aware that can be relied upon to promote adjustment of the internal clock.· For example, during the daytime the internal clock as well as our life-style and environment raise body temperature and the urinary removal of water.· At night our internal clock, sleep, and our inactive environment act together to decrease temperature and urinary loss.
· With the gradual introduction of mechanical clocks around the fourteenth century, hours of standard length became general.· Unlike mechanical clocks, which are completely blind to their surroundings, a biological clock gets reset every day by the sun.· The first mechanical clocks were large and unwieldy, and there was soon a desire for smaller and more portable mechanisms.· But like a single gear in a mechanical clock, timeless can not keep good time all by itself.· Despite the invention of the mechanical clock, for most people time remained uneven in quality.· According to our present knowledge, this machine was the nearest the artificers of antiquity came to inventing a truly mechanical clock.· It would seem that the date of the invention of the mechanical clock is probably some time between 1280 and 1300.
NOUN· He checked the little luminous dial on his alarm clock: ten past three.· I rolled over, sat up, blinked, and glared at the alarm clock.· One matching baby-blue Samsonite hatbox, containing my shoes, portable alarm clock, and toilet articles.· Or him who said he heard the horn, moaning softly like an alarm clock under an eiderdown?· He must have gone to sleep at last for the next thing he heard was his alarm clock.· The clinic responded with two more alarm clocks before prescribing drugs.· I usually set my alarm clock for five, ready for me to be away two hours later at dawn.
· In all cases, the effect of the body clock is being accentuated by our life-style, generally by means of the hormone adrenalin.· This theory also implies that the internal body clock takes up to five years to develop fully.· Is it a function of our body clock or our life-style, or due to some interaction between the two?· The body clock has been studied very little in older volunteers and so we do not know the answer to this.· Those few studies that have been carried out in free-running experiments suggest that the body clock might run slightly faster.· Do they result from the body clock, from sleep loss - or from some mixture of these factors?· Our body clock as well as our habits will need modification.
· In the silence she heard the ticking of the carriage clock.· He glanced at the carriage clock on the polished rosewood desk.· When they left she found an antique carriage clock in the hallway missing and also some jewellery.· As Ashi dressed swiftly her eyes were drawn back to the carriage clock.· I'd take carriage clocks and videos.
· The single chime of a church clock rang out suddenly in the darkness.· My heat was pounding as I began to count the strokes of the church clock.· The church clock struck a quarter to twelve, and still the bride did not come.· The church clock, slowly and deliberately striking seven in the morning, was like a knell to that day's death.· As the church clock struck twelve, they listened to the heavy notes ringing out from the church tower.· Local legend states that when it hears the church clock strike twelve it goes down to the River Avon to drink.· Twelve was striking on the church clock.· He increased his pace and arrived back at the hall as the church clock was striking six.
· I am famous for cuckoo clocks and chocolate.· Beside the portrait was a carved cuckoo clock with green ivy and purple grapes growing around a green front door.· There was a grotesque inventiveness, a deliberate eccentricity in the idea of the cuckoo clock that Melanie had never encountered.· The cuckoo clock spun round and round.· Have you seen those cuckoo clocks which have little weathermen as part of the mechanism?· Melanie and Aunt Margaret sat in complete silence but for the ponderous ticking of the cuckoo clock and its regular two note interjections.
· The seconds crawl past as if they were anchored to the clock face.· Neurologists like to draw a circle and ask the patient to fill in a clock face.· Do you know just what your clock face is like?· Some of you may well be surprised to find that your image of that clock face was mistaken.· What was the precise time on that clock face when you looked at it just now?
· The solemnly ticking grandfather clock by the door said two minutes to the half hour when Charles heard the Bishop approaching.· She'd heard the grandfather clock down in the hall chime every quarter-hour until three o'clock.· The room was silent, apart from the hollow and remorseless tick of a grandfather clock in the corner.· No one in the hall except the grandfather clock I'd seen floating in my dream; no one came out of the sitting room.· As he moved the beam, the shadow of the grandfather clock in the hall twisted and grew across the ceiling.· The muffled tick of the grandfather clock echoed in one corner.· The grandfather clock in an oak case is one of seven clocks and two barometers in the house.· Clock stolen: A grandfather clock worth £1,000 was stolen from a house at Kepwick, near Thirsk.
· Nine o'clock the kitchen clock said.· Mrs Kelleher looked up to the yellow face of the kitchen clock.· Waking with a jump, disorientated for a moment, Hilary stared in disbelief at the kitchen clock.· The kitchen clock croaked and creaked, seeming to match the uneven rhythm of his heart.· By Philippa's kitchen clock it was now a quarter past one.· Glanced up at the kitchen clock.
· The clock radio flashing the time at 88 past 88.· Next to the bed was a table, a box of tissues, and a clock radio.· The plastic speaker was the size of a bedside clock radio.
· Even with the shot clock, teams with a lead can take time off the clock late in the game.· The Heat led by 1 and the shot clock was approaching zero.· Dead center as the shot clock went to zero.
· The new iterations will feature a higher clock speed processor and two chips per board.· For example, the 6x686-P200 system I tested uses a Cyrix chip with a clock speed of 166 megahertz.· This is used to indicate the clock speed of computers.· Despite the different clock speeds, all three offer roughly comparable performance when used to upgrade a 486 system.· As of last week, Sun was still tinkering with the Viking's clock speeds.· Faster clock speeds are expected later this year.
· A pseudo-variable which reads and sets the elapsed time clock.· Dear Help Wanted: We punch a time clock and our employer has a rigid lateness policy.· Alternatively, a single softner operating on a time clock and regenerating during the night may be the best solution.· Baby schedules did not fit any time clock.· Ensure that you are familiar with any heating controls the system may have such as a time clock or programmer.· I was not looking at a time clock or hours.· If there were a time clock for murder, it would show one every twenty-six minutes.· The building had no water and the scoreboard had no time clock.
· Some parts of the painting, such as the area around the clock tower are nearly finished at this stage.· The famous clock tower stays as a permanent reminder.· Only the clock tower on the stables showed from behind the trees.· The only additions are the 30-year-old first pier and the clock tower seen in the distance.· There is also an appealing clock tower, built in 1899.· Henry was wasting his time and, as if to underline this fact, he glanced at the clock tower.· The church dominates the commercial centre with its clock tower visible from the housing developments on the outskirts.· A popular rendezvous and a familiar landmark with its prominent clock tower.
· Julie cradled the mug of tea in both hands and looked at the wall clock on the other side of the kitchen.· The yellow light shone on the wall clock.· Vienna double weight wall clock, £330 and a Victorian sewing table, £340.· Smith looked at his watch, at the wall clock, at the digital clock.· Two garden seats went at £155; a Vienna wall clock made £190 and a school clock £90.· A wall clock will tell you the time of day but not its manufactured brethren.· Directly before her was a large wall clock.· Von Stein had been checking the wall clock in the laboratory then looking back at his notes for some time.
VERB· Their aim - to beat the clock and each other in a competition to find the fastest draw in the country.· Use a timer and ask the student to beat the clock.· Secondly, it has to beat the clock.· In both halves, the Owls had difficulty setting up their offense and often rushed bad shots to beat the 35-second clock.· Sometimes I wake early to beat the clock.
· He glanced at the carriage clock on the polished rosewood desk.· You glance at the clock. 11: 15.· She glanced at the clock, and away again quickly.· I glanced at the clock with uneasiness.· Unthinkingly she glanced at the clock on the bedside-table and tears stung her eyes.· Dunne glanced at the clock that hung beneath the picture of Robert Emmet.
· Then, above the screams of the wind, he heard the great clock striking in the market place.· He was alone and could hear the Kremlin clock.· He must have gone to sleep at last for the next thing he heard was his alarm clock.· Waiting to see what would happen to his brother, and therefore to him, he heard clocks.· She'd heard the grandfather clock down in the hall chime every quarter-hour until three o'clock.· It's the men now, as often as not, who hear the biological clock ticking loudest.· He heard a clock strike eight.· He heard the clock over the bus-station strike midnight.
· Conway looked at his clock and got out of bed.· He would drift off to sleep again, only to wake and look at the clock.· Then I looked closer at the clock.· But overall, it looked like no other clock ever seen before or since.· It looked like the clock was running faster than usual.· Benjy looked up at the clock.· We look at the pub clock and wonder where the rest of the band are.· Wade fixed a pair of drinks, passed one over to Claude, and looked up at the clock over the stove.
· Thorns Gill is too precious to suffer damage by boots racing against the clock.· That was the day Clinton, racing the clock, considered clemency for Rich and 175 others.
· The Saints then ran out the clock.· But the Oilers tried to get a first down, to work the ball closer and run the clock down.· There are now 21 talk shows on daytime television; two cable channels run them around the clock.· Kaufman already had carried twice to run out the clock, gaining nothing.
· As with all radioactive methods, it is important to be clear about what sets the radioactive clock to zero.· Bright light is one of the cues provided by nature to help set your clock.· A pseudo-variable which reads and sets the elapsed time clock.· TIMES$ A 24 character long string pseudo-variable which reads and sets the system clock.· When setting the clock, the day of the week may be omitted.· I usually set my alarm clock for five, ready for me to be away two hours later at dawn.· He covered her with a blanket and set the alarm clock to ring in an hour, wrapping it in a towel.
· The hands appear to stop when the clock gets to the boundary. 12.· She wished she could stop the clock for a while and try to take it all in.· Some expend tremendous energy desperately trying to stop the clock.· The phone stopped ringing and the clock ticked then the phone started again and the clock stopped.· The phone stopped and the clock ticked and the phone started a third time.· The phone stopped, the clock ticked.· If you are bled totally dry and white, they will simply stop the clock.
· Twelve was striking on the church clock.
· It was almost like turning the clock back a couple of centuries.· Only if somebody can come up with a way to turn back the clock.· No-one can turn back the clock.· The most important thing now is not to turn the clock back.· What is past is past and you can not turn the clock back.· It is time to stop trying to turn back the clock.· Has some one turned the clock back 100 years and forgotten to tell me?· He thinks you can turn the clock back.
· And watched the clock so he could call a halt to it as soon as possible.· A houseful of people watched me around the clock, which only made me more determined.· She watched the clock hands go round.· If White wanted Black to be watched around the clock, he would have hired two or three men, not one.· I am watching the clock, counting the minutes till the last period of the morning is over.
· We thought we could wind the clock down and take our shot.
· For the past 4 days, they've been working around the clock and through the night.· And they stopped at exactly twelve hours, so there were no penalties for overtime. everything worked by the clock.· But the computers we work with operate on clocks that run to the thousands of cycles per second.· Men from the Royal Engineers and local contractors have been working around the clock to make the barracks habitable.· The company worked around the clock to repair the problem.· Staff will work round the clock.· They gave themselves entirely over to their employers and worked around the clock.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► twenty-four hour clock► the clock is ticking► the clock► run out the clock/kill the clockPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► getting on for 90/10 o’clock/2,000 etc► the clocks go back► the clocks go forward► be going on (for) 5 o’clock/60/25 etc► one o'clock/two o'clock etc► put a clock/watch forward► put a clock/watch back► at ten thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp► the (9 o'clock) watershed
1an instrument that shows what time it is, in a room or outside on a building: - For a normally aspirated 2.5, the 325i's showing against the clock is complete and impressive.
- He was positive in all he did and this approach helped us to win many games against the clock or the weather.
- Needless to say, starting that particular sewer again is very time-consuming, and the whole thing's against the clock!
- Sullivan Sergeant Sullivan looked at the wristwatch his girlfriend had given him and checked it against the clock on the wall.
- The ride is against the clock and points are taken away for knocking down obstacles.
- Thorns Gill is too precious to suffer damage by boots racing against the clock.
- The clock is stopped when a player runs out of bounds with the ball.
- If you are bled totally dry and white, they will simply stop the clock.
- Some expend tremendous energy desperately trying to stop the clock.
- You start the clock, paint the glue, fit the pieces, block the cramps.
- Rescuers are working round the clock to find survivors of the blast.
- Since the outbreak of war, journalists have been working round the clock.
- The emergency telephone lines operate around the clock.
- A houseful of people watched me around the clock, which only made me more determined.
- Between them they provide a mix of outreach and on-site services around the clock.
- For the past 4 days, they've been working around the clock and through the night.
- I was on planes or e-mail around the clock, seven days a week.
- Men from the Royal Engineers and local contractors have been working around the clock to make the barracks habitable.
- That many trips around the clock means each minute hand has traveled the equivalent of 10, 677 miles.
- The company worked around the clock to repair the problem.
- The modification work continues around the clock.
- If I could turn the clock back, I don't think I'd study law again.
- It would be nice to put the clock back to the years when Mum and Dad were still alive.
- He thinks you can turn the clock back.
- It was almost like turning the clock back a couple of centuries.
- Not unless they fell into Morton's hands. Turn the clock back.
- Or not lie, maybe. Turn the clock back.
- The most important thing now is not to turn the clock back.
- This great divide can not be bridged by turning the clock back.
- We can not turn the clock back.
- What is past is past and you can not turn the clock back.
- Anyway, even if one wanted to, one couldn't put the clock back to an earlier age.
- I can't put the clock back.
- They were therefore accused of putting the clock back and bringing the best hope of Christendom to an impasse.
- I, like many other riders, am eagerly awaiting the clocks going forward.
- Police say they had to enforce the law after 1am when the clocks went forward an hour.
- When the clocks go back in late October it will be dark by five o'clock in the afternoon.
- An old-fashioned analogue watch and a chunky bracelet on the right wrist might be observed through half-closed lids.
- Secondly, it has to beat the clock.
- Sometimes I wake early to beat the clock.
- Their aim - to beat the clock and each other in a competition to find the fastest draw in the country.
- Use a timer and ask the student to beat the clock.
- Bob is glad to have a job where he doesn't have to punch the clock.
- Bobby punched the clock in four other maquilas before she got her current job as a clothes inspector at the Minsa plant.
- And he takes a travelling rug with him - another of those fussy bag-and-baggage objects which assert the novel's tonality.
- At a quarter to four by the little travelling clock at his bedside he got out of bed and went to the window.
- And watched the clock so he could call a halt to it as soon as possible.
- I am watching the clock, counting the minutes till the last period of the morning is over.
- Only then did she let herself watch the clock to the strains of Beethoven's Apassionata.
- She watched the clock hands go round.
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)2around the clock (also round the clock British English) all day and all night without stopping: Kim has been working round the clock to finish it in time.3 put/turn the clock back a) (also set the clock back American English) to go back to the way things were done in the past instead of doing things in a modern way – used to show disapproval: The new employment bill will put the clock back 50 years. b)to return to a good situation that you experienced in the past or to make someone remember such a situation: The kids are all grown up now and you can’t put the clock back.4put the clock(s) back/forward British English to change the time shown on the clock to one hour earlier or later, when the time officially changes5the clocks go back/forward British English the time changes officially to one hour earlier or later: The clocks go back in October.6against the clock a)if you work against the clock, you work as quickly as you can because you do not have much time: Everyone is racing against the clock to get things ready in time. b)if you run, swim etc against the clock, you run or swim a particular distance while your speed is measured7twenty-four hour clock a system for measuring time in which the hours of the day and night have numbers from 0 to 238start/stop the clock to start or stop measuring how much time is left in a game or sport that has a time limit9the clock is ticking used to say that there is not much time left to do something: The clock is ticking for those who have not yet filled in their tax form.10the clock a)an instrument in a vehicle that measures how far it has travelledon the clock a car with 43,000 miles on the clock b)an instrument in a vehicle that measures the speed at which it is travelling11run out the clock/kill the clock American English if a team runs out the clock at the end of a game, it tries to keep the ball for the rest of the game so that its opponents cannot get any points → biological clock, body clock, dandelion clock, time clockCOLLOCATIONSverbslook/glance at the clock· She 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 clock· Harry 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.clock1 nounclock2 verb
clockclock2 verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
clock
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | clock |
| he, she, it | clocks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | clocked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have clocked |
| he, she, it | has clocked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had clocked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will clock |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have clocked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am clocking |
| he, she, it | is clocking | |
| you, we, they | are clocking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was clocking |
| you, we, they | were clocking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been clocking |
| he, she, it | has been clocking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been clocking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be clocking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been clocking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The runner from Lynbrook clocked the fastest time this season on the mile run.
- But he'd soon shut up if he clocked the Stud Hoss in the car park.
- Livingstone clocked 18 mins 6 secs for the 3 1/2 miles in heavy rain, beating Vose by ten metres.
- Roemer now recognized that earlier attempts to clock the speed of light had failed because the distances tested were too short.
WORD SETS
acre, nounacreage, nounavoirdupois, nounbaker's dozen, nounbalance, nounbarometer, nounbaseline, nounbasin, nounbaud rate, nounbearing, nounbecquerel, nounblack box, nounboiling point, nounbottle, nounbox, nouncalculator, nouncalibrate, verbcalibration, nouncc, centi-, prefixcentimetre, nouncircumference, nouncl, clock, verbcm, cu, cubic, adjectivecubit, nouncup, nouncupful, nouncwt, daylight saving time, noundeci-, prefixdecibel, noundecimalization, noundeflection, noundegree, noundensity, noundepth, noundimension, noundipstick, noundisplacement, noundoz., noundozen, numberelevation, nounfactor, nounfathom, nounfl oz, fluid ounce, nounfoot, nounft, g, gage, noungal, gallon, noungauge, noungauge, verbGB, Geiger counter, noungigabyte, noungill, noungirth, noungm, graduated, adjectivegraduation, noungrain, noungram, noungramme, noungrid, noungross, adjectivehandful, nounhectare, nounhertz, nounhigh, adjectivehundredweight, nounimpedance, nounimperial, adjectiveinch, nounindicator, nouninstrument, nounjoule, nounkarat, nounkg, kilo, nounkilo-, prefixkilogram, nounkilometre, nounkm, knot, nounl, latitude, nounlb, league, nounlength, nounlight year, nounliter, nounlitre, nounlow water mark, nounmax, nounmaximum, adjectivemean, adjectivemeasure, verbmeasure, nounmedian, nounmedium, adjectivemegaton, nounmelting point, nounmental age, nounmeter, nounmeter, verb-meter, suffixmetre, noun-metre, suffixmetric, adjectivemetrication, nounmetric ton, nounmg, MHz, microsecond, nounmile, nounmillennium, nounmilli-, prefixmillibar, nounmilligram, nounmillilitre, nounmillimetre, nounminus, adjectiveminute, nounml, mpg, mph, nano-, prefixnanosecond, nounnautical mile, nounounce, nounoverweight, adjectiveoz, pace, verbpart, nounpedometer, nounpint, nounplus, adjectivepoint, nounpound, nounpunnet, nounqt, quantify, verbquart, nounradioactive dating, nounradius, nounrain gauge, nounread, verbreading, nounrecord, verbreset, verbrev, nounrotation, nounrpm, rule, nounruler, nounscale, nounsea level, nounsea mile, nounseismograph, nounsensor, nounset square, nounsextant, nounsnowfall, nounsoundings, nounsq., subsonic, adjectivesundial, nountherm, nountimberline, nountog, nounton, nountonnage, nountonne, nountroy weight, noununit, nounvoltmeter, nounvolume, nounwatch, nounwatt, nounwattage, nounweighbridge, nounweight, nounwidth, nounwt., yard, nounyardage, nounyardstick, nounyd, zero, number
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES career women who hear the biological clock ticking The clocks go forward this weekend. The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship. The bell tower was added to the church in 1848. It’s just turned three. Forty police officers are working round the clock (=working day and night without stopping) to find Murray’s killer.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
career women who hear the biological clock ticking (=all day and all night)· He needs round-the-clock care.
(=at exactly 3:00/7:30 etc) Mr Green arrived at six on the dot.
Mr Green arrived at six on the dot. The clocks go forward this weekend. The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship. The bell tower was added to the church in 1848. It’s just turned three. Forty police officers are working round the clock (=working day and night without stopping) to find Murray’s killer.· The Astra has now clocked up 17,300 miles and our time together is almost at an end.· Altogether on the trip we clocked up over 1800 miles.· Islander was now really beginning to clock up the miles.
· The Gateshead Harrier clocked 8 mins 38.7 secs to eclipse Dennis Coates' time of 8:48.0, set in 1981.· Under the weather or not Ashcroft clocked 2 mins 13.8 secs, almost a second faster than her winning time last year.· Livingstone clocked 18 mins 6 secs for the 3 1/2 miles in heavy rain, beating Vose by ten metres.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► getting on for 90/10 o’clock/2,000 etc► the clocks go back► the clocks go forward► be going on (for) 5 o’clock/60/25 etc► one o'clock/two o'clock etc► put a clock/watch forward► put a clock/watch back► at ten thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp► the (9 o'clock) watershed
1to cover a distance in a particular time, or to reach a particular speed in a race: - An old-fashioned analogue watch and a chunky bracelet on the right wrist might be observed through half-closed lids.
- Secondly, it has to beat the clock.
- Sometimes I wake early to beat the clock.
- Their aim - to beat the clock and each other in a competition to find the fastest draw in the country.
- Use a timer and ask the student to beat the clock.
- Bob is glad to have a job where he doesn't have to punch the clock.
- Bobby punched the clock in four other maquilas before she got her current job as a clothes inspector at the Minsa plant.
- And he takes a travelling rug with him - another of those fussy bag-and-baggage objects which assert the novel's tonality.
- At a quarter to four by the little travelling clock at his bedside he got out of bed and went to the window.
- And watched the clock so he could call a halt to it as soon as possible.
- I am watching the clock, counting the minutes till the last period of the morning is over.
- Only then did she let herself watch the clock to the strains of Beethoven's Apassionata.
- She watched the clock hands go round.
Karen won in the 300 metres, clocking 42.9 seconds. the first steam engine to clock 100 miles an hour2to 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.3British English informal to notice someone or something, or to look at them carefully: Did you clock the bloke by the door?4British 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 phrasal verb especially British English to record on a special card the time you arrive at or begin work SYN punch in American English: I clock on at 8:30.clock off phrasal verb British English1 informal to leave work at the end of the day: What time do you clock off?2to record on a special card the time you stop or leave work: By 6 p.m. most workers have clocked off.clock out phrasal verb especially British English to record on a special card the time you stop or leave work SYN punch out American Englishclock up something phrasal verb to reach or achieve a particular number or amount: The Dodgers have clocked up six wins in a row. I clocked up 90,000 miles in my Ford. Councillor Scott has clocked up more than 25 years on the borough council.