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Glite Dictionary
⏰ A computer timekeeper 🔄 A timing signal
system clock

system clock

3.4
A clock inside a computer that keeps the current time and date
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : reloj del sistema
  • I believe that your system clock may be wrong.

Examples

  • And so it slows down the system clock to save power.

  • If your computer is showing the wrong time, you should check the system clock to see if it needs adjustment.

  • The system clock on my laptop helps me keep track of appointments by showing the current date and time.

  • To ensure accurate timestamps on files, the administrator regularly synchronizes the system clock with an atomic time server.

Synonyms

clock
vssystem clock
∞ 1.0

A device that shows the time of day, usually on a dial or screen

is the computer's internal timekeeper that keeps current time and date

How Accurate

PTP
  • Specialized
8.6
GPS
  • Specialized
205 2.6
timeserver
  • Specialized
7.3
system clock
  • Specialized
3.4

Surface Forms

system clock singular
system clocks plural

Morphology

system + clock

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'system' (a collection of interacting components) with 'clock' (a device that provides timing): it denotes a clock that provides timing for the system. The electronic/technical detail about high-frequency synchronization is a domain-specific extension but does not obscure the basic compositional meaning, which is cross-linguistically common and likely accessible to B1 learners who know the parts.

Etymology

System clock is like a small watch inside a computer that keeps the correct 'time and date'. The word clock paints that image, so the phrase means the computer's time-of-day clock.