cuckoo clock
3
3.0
- noun
- /ˈkʌkuː klɒk/
:
reloj cucú
- Noises kept me up at night, noises that it seemed only I could hear: my brother breathing in the bed next to me, the cuckoo clock in the den on the other side of the house, the dripping shower I could hear through two closed doors.
- BLACK FOREST cuckoo clock
Examples
-
Beside the couch is a small table holding a toy village from the Black Forest, carved in wood; above the village is a cuckoo clock.
Fiction book (1997) -
The old cuckoo clock chimed loudly, announcing the arrival of noon.
-
A cuckoo clock rings the hour.
Fiction book (1998) -
There was a cuckoo clock sounding off in the bedroom.
Fiction book (1995) -
Petra was reminded of their cuckoo clock back home that had broken once.
Fiction book (1998) -
The house is filled with cuckoo clocks and little Swedish knickknacks.
Fiction book (1994) -
He glanced at the cuckoo clock: 10:00 A.M., as good a time as any on a July Wednesday to hang up his leather apron, close shop, and amble across the cobbled street for a chat.
Fiction book (2002) -
The house of Karen Blixen is now a museum, and although the original house is noticeably smaller than the set constructed for "Out of Africa," the decor and the ambience are recognizable, right down to the cuckoo clock in the front parlor.
Academic text (1997) -
As the cuckoo clock struck five, a small bird popped out and sang its cheerful call.
-
In the living room, the cuckoo clock hung neatly, adding a touch of charm to the decor.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A device that shows the time of day, usually on a dial or screen
4
1.0
A clock that hangs on a wall to show the time
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'cuckoo' (the bird/its call) + 'clock' (a timepiece): it denotes a clock that announces the hour with a cuckoo sound, often with a mechanical bird. This compound follows a straightforward noun+noun composition and has clear parallels in other languages (e.g., German 'Kuckucksuhr'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Cuckoo clock paints a simple picture: a clock with a small mechanical cuckoo that pops out and calls at each hour. Because the little bird announces the time, the name came to mean 'a clock that announces the hours'.