Meaning & use
clockwork clock
Last updated
UK/ˈklɒkwɜːk klɒk/
US/ˈklɑːkwɜːrk klɑːk/
Meaning
nouncountable
a clock that works by means of a wound spring and gears rather than electricity
Grammar: Countable: a clockwork clock, several clockwork clocks.
The old clockwork clock on the mantel had to be wound every night.
He collects clockwork clocks from the nineteenth century.
Word forms
| plural | clockwork clocks |
|---|
Common combinations
- wind a clockwork clock
- Every Sunday he would wind the clockwork clock in the hall.
- clockwork mechanism
- The clockwork mechanism inside the clock was beautifully made.
- old clockwork clock
- The antique shop had an old clockwork clock for sale.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mechanical clock
- The usual modern term for a clock with moving parts; clockwork clock is more specific to spring-driven clocks.
Word family
Commonly confused: clockwork clock or clockwork?
clockwork clock vs clockwork
Clockwork is the mechanism, not the clock itself; a clockwork clock is a clock that contains clockwork.
Practice
What is a clockwork clock?
Choose one answer.
A clockwork clock is driven by a spring and gears, not electricity. Option 0 describes a battery clock, option 2 describes a world clock, and option 3 describes any ticking clock.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clockwork clock”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.