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Glite Dictionary
wall clock

wall clock

4 1.0
A clock that hangs on a wall to show the time
  • noun
  • /wɔl klɑk/
translation icon : reloj de pared
  • The teacher pointed to the wall clock to remind the students that class was almost over.
  • glanced at the wall clock
  • looked at the wall clock
  • wall clock ticks

If there is a loud ticking noise that you can hear, it's my Mickey Mouse wall clock that's up there.

Examples

  • Georgette glanced nervously at the wall clock when he walked into her office.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Several analog wall clocks were used to present various times for the students to identify.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The only thing moving is the hands of a large wall clock in the background.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Beyond the space of the window was the wall clock.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The guards are looking at the wall clock and then at their watches.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • In search of a wall clock, I head for SoHo.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Fields paces, nervous, aware of every tick of the wall clock.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • At twelve-forty by the wall clock, Uncle John pushed from his chair to go to the Men's Room.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Paula's eyes shifted from Gladys to the wall clock behind her.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Pasternak glanced at a wall clock, his forehead wrinkled with worry.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

clock
vswall clock
∞ 1.0

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

is mounted on a wall rather than placed elsewhere
digital clock
vswall clock
4 1.8

A clock that shows the time using numbers

is mounted on a wall and focuses on placement rather than display type
cuckoo clock
vswall clock
3 3.0

A clock with a small moving bird that comes out and calls every hour

is mounted on a wall for ordinary time display without hourly sound
electric clock
vswall clock
2.5

A clock that runs on electricity

is defined by being mounted on a wall not by its power source

How Big

clock tower
11 2.8
wall clock
4 1.0
clock
∞ 1.0
time clock
4 3.2

Surface Forms

wall clock singular
wall clocks plural

Morphology

wall + clock

The meaning 'a clock mounted on a wall' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'wall' (vertical surface) with 'clock' (timekeeping device); this is a regular noun–noun compound whose sense follows immediately from its parts. Such compositional compounds are cross-linguistically common and would be readily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Wall clock comes from the simple picture of a clock hung on a wall. Because people put these clocks high where everyone could see the time, the name came to mean 'a clock that is hung on a wall'.