clock
/klɒk/ (bre, ipa) · /klɑːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkläk/ (ame, mw)
clock — noun
1. An object that hangs on a wall or stands on a surface, with a dial or screen tha
An object that hangs on a wall or stands on a surface, with a dial or screen that shows you what hour and minute it currently is.
The old clock in the living room chimed every hour, waking the cat from its nap.
collocation: chimed every hour
Aiko checked the station clock and saw that her train left in three minutes.
Battery-powered clocks are common in modern kitchens because they do not need winding.
The librarian hung a large clock above the desk so everyone could see the time.
When the power went out, the clock on the microwave kept blinking twelve o'clock.
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, 'clock' refers to a wall or desk timepiece, while 'watch' refers to one worn on the wrist. Computer and phone displays are generally not called clocks.
常見錯誤
2. The seasonal practice of setting all public and household clocks one hour earlie
The seasonal practice of setting all public and household clocks one hour earlier, which happens in autumn when daylight saving time ends.
Theo always looks forward to the clocks going back because he gets an extra hour of sleep.
phrase: clocks go back
The Watanabe family forgot that the clocks go back this weekend, so they arrived at church an hour early.
When the clocks go back in October, the evening sky turns dark a full hour sooner.
Farmers often dislike the clocks going back because the cattle need feeding in the dark.
- fall back
informal American English phrase for the same practice
- clocks forward
the opposite spring practice
文法句型
the clocks go back
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'the clocks go back'. 'The clock goes back' (singular) is incorrect because the practice affects all clocks in a region.
常見錯誤
3. The seasonal practice of setting all public and household clocks one hour later,
The seasonal practice of setting all public and household clocks one hour later, which happens in spring when daylight saving time begins.
Kofi set two alarms before bed because the clocks go forward tonight and he might oversleep.
phrase: clocks go forward
After the clocks go forward in March, the sun stays in the sky until nearly eight in the evening.
Flight schedules change twice a year when the clocks go forward or back across different countries.
Nadia reminded her mother that the clocks go forward tonight, so they should eat dinner an hour earlier.
- spring forward
informal American English phrase for the same practice
- clocks back
the opposite autumn practice
文法句型
the clocks go forward
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'the clocks go forward'. The opposite of 'the clocks go back' (sense noun/2).
常見錯誤
4. A round gauge on a vehicle's dashboard that tells the driver how fast the vehicl
A round gauge on a vehicle's dashboard that tells the driver how fast the vehicle is moving at any moment.
Leila glanced at the clock and realised she was driving well above the speed limit.
informal: clock = speedometer
The clock on the dashboard of a rental car sometimes shows the speed in both miles and kilometres.
A broken clock can get you a fine because you have no way of knowing your actual speed.
The driving instructor told Priya to keep her eyes on the road, not on the clock.
- speedometer
the precise, formal term; never ambiguous
用法筆記
In informal British English, 'clock' alone can mean 'speedometer' when the context is clearly about driving. In American English, 'speedometer' is preferred.
常見錯誤
5. A number display on a vehicle's dashboard that records the total distance covere
A number display on a vehicle's dashboard that records the total distance covered by the vehicle since it was first driven off the production line.
When buying a used car, check the clock to see how many miles the car has really driven.
informal: clock = odometer
The clock on Hiro's truck passed two hundred thousand kilometres during his cross-country trip.
Some dishonest sellers roll back the clock to make a car look newer than it actually is.
A digital clock records distance more accurately than the old mechanical models did.
用法筆記
In British English, 'clock' can informally refer to the odometer. 'Milometer' is the formal term in the UK; 'odometer' is standard in the US.
常見錯誤
clock — verb
1. To use a stopwatch or timer to measure exactly how long an activity, race, or pr
To use a stopwatch or timer to measure exactly how long an activity, race, or process takes from start to finish.
The PE teacher clocked each student's running time with a stopwatch during sports day.
pattern: clock + noun + time phrase
Ravi clocked his commute at forty-five minutes when he took the train instead of the bus.
pattern: clock + noun + at + time
The lab assistant clocked the chemical reaction at just under two hundred milliseconds.
Yara asked her brother to clock her laps in the pool so she could track her improvement.
Amara clocked the fastest marathon time in the club's history at just over three hours.
文法句型
clock + noun + at + time phrase
用法筆記
Often followed by 'at' and a time measurement: 'clocked [someone/something] at [time]'. Can also be used without 'at' in shorter constructions: 'clocked a fast time'.
常見錯誤
2. When a vehicle's dashboard instruments indicate that the vehicle has attained or
When a vehicle's dashboard instruments indicate that the vehicle has attained or is maintaining a certain speed, or has covered a particular distance as recorded on the dials.
The police radar gun clocked the motorcycle at over one hundred and fifty kilometres per hour.
pattern: clock + noun + at + speed
Beatriz watched the dashboard needle clock a steady one hundred and ten kilometres per hour.
The old van struggled to clock more than eighty kilometres per hour on the steep mountain road.
The speed camera clocked every car that passed through the school zone during morning drop-off.
文法句型
clock + speed/distance
用法筆記
Subject is usually a vehicle, radar gun, or speed camera. Not used for human running speeds — use verb sense 1 (MEASURE TIME) instead.
常見錯誤
3. To forcefully strike another person, targeting areas such as the jaw or cheek, t
To forcefully strike another person, targeting areas such as the jaw or cheek, typically during a fight or heated argument.
The security footage showed a man clocking another right in the jaw during the argument.
pattern: clock + noun + in/on + body part
In the final round the champion clocked his opponent with a powerful left hook.
The bartender warned the drunk customer that he would clock him if he did not leave quietly.
Two teenagers clocked each other outside the school gates and were suspended the next morning.
文法句型
clock + noun + on/in + body part
clock + noun + with + object
用法筆記
Informal British slang. Stronger than 'hit' — implies a deliberate, forceful blow. Usually targets the head or face. Never used for accidental contact.