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Glite Dictionary
water clock

water clock

1 8.2
A device that measures time using the flow of water
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːtər klɒk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : clepsidra
  • "Glancing at the water clock by the doorway, he said, "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment for dinner."

Examples

  • The Chinese had clocks, elaborate hydraulic water clocks, well before West Europeans had anything like that.

  • Ersoch's water clock was designed in the early 1870s and became a primary feature of Giuseppe Valadier's restoration of the adjacent Pincio Gardens in the late nineteenth century.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The first clock invented was the sundial. Later, the water clock was developed in China.

    Academic text (2012)

  • A century earlier, Galileo had to use crude water clocks for his work on falling objects.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Here in the cool of a summer afternoon, I rode the tough little donkeys through glades of acanthus, under old cedar trees, to a water clock which kept time on a cascade of fern-covered rocks.

    Academic text (1999)

  • In ancient Greece, a water clock was commonly used to measure time during public speeches.

  • The water clock allowed people to keep track of time without relying on the sun.

  • Engineers designed a water clock that used the flow of water to mark each hour.

Synonyms

clock
vswater clock
∞ 1.0

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

measures time by regulated water flow rather than showing time of day
timekeeper
vswater clock
1 4.2

A clock or watch that measures time accurately

uses regulated water flow rather than many other timing methods
clepsydra
vswater clock
  • Archaic
9.9

An old clock that measures time by the flow of water

is the same device but uses the more common modern name
water glass
vswater clock
  • Archaic
9.9

A vessel that measures time by letting water flow out slowly

focuses on the whole timekeeping mechanism rather than just the vessel

How Accurate

atomic clock
  • Specialized
5 4.3
quartz crystal
  • Specialized
1 5.1
clockwork
45 4.5
water clock
  • Specialized
1 8.2
sundial
11 4.9

Surface Forms

water clock singular
water clocks plural

Morphology

water + clock

The meaning of 'water clock' is directly compositional: it denotes a clock that uses water to measure time, which a learner can infer from 'water' (H₂O) + 'clock' (timekeeping device). This noun–noun compounding is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward English composition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

The compound noun water clock comes from an old device where water slowly flowed into or out of a bowl and moved a mark or float so people could watch time pass. That's why water clock means 'a device that measures time'.