Meaning & use

pocket watch

noun·Academic

A small watch, traditionally carried in a pocket and often attached to a chain, rather than worn on the wrist.

See it in a sentence

His grandfather's gold pocket watch had been passed down for three generations.

The conductor checked his pocket watch before signaling the train to depart.

A note on using this word

Pocket watches were the standard timepiece before wristwatches became popular in the early twentieth century.

Words with a similar meaning

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