o'clock
o'clock — adverb
1. added after an hour number to show that the clock is on the whole hour, with no
added after an hour number to show that the clock is on the whole hour, with no minutes before or after it
Maeve looked up at the station clock and saw it was three o'clock.
exact hour after a number
The school bell rings at eight o'clock every weekday morning.
at + number + o'clock
Please call the clinic again at ten o'clock, not half past ten.
By one o'clock, the bakery had already sold every mango tart.
by + number + o'clock
- at five o'clock
- three o'clock sharp
- by one o'clock
Grammar Patterns
at + number + o'clock
number + o'clock sharp
Usage Note
Usually follows a number and often appears after at. Use it only for exact hours; if minutes are included, speakers say the full time without o'clock.
Common Mistakes
2. used with a number to mean the part of the day when something usually happens, e
used with a number to mean the part of the day when something usually happens, especially a meal or another regular activity
At our house, six o'clock is usually dinner time for the children.
number + o'clock as a routine part of the day
For Yuna, five o'clock means the cafe starts its evening rush.
means + usual event
In Stefan's office, four o'clock is coffee break for everyone.
To the twins, seven o'clock was bath time before bed.
number + o'clock as a named daily slot
- dinner time
- coffee break
- bath time
Grammar Patterns
number + o'clock is + activity time
number + o'clock means + usual event
Usage Note
Often appears when a family, workplace, or group treats a certain hour as the normal time for one activity. Distinguish it from sense 1, which points to an exact clock reading rather than a routine slot.
Common Mistakes
Common collocations
Etymology
This form comes from the older English phrase of the clock. Speakers originally used it after an hour number to show that they meant clock time, and the phrase later shortened into the fixed form o'clock.