water glass
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtər ɡlæs/
- Archaic
:
reloj de agua
- The ancient Greeks used a water glass to keep time during speeches.
Examples
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By marking the vessel, the accuracy of the water glass could be improved significantly.
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A water glass was commonly found in medieval courts before mechanical clocks became widespread.
-
The ancient water glass was used to measure time precisely.
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In ancient Greece, a water glass helped track the passage of time.
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In ancient Greece, a water glass allowed philosophers to measure the length of their speeches.
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Before the invention of mechanical timepieces, a water glass was essential for timing various activities.
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During scientific experiments, a water glass was used as an early method to track time intervals.
Synonyms
1
8.2
A device that measures time using the flow of water
An old clock that measures time by the flow of water
How Accurate
- Specialized
5
4.3
1
4.9
45
4.5
- Archaic
11
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'water' (liquid) and 'glass' (drinking vessel) transparently yield the sense 'a glass for water', but they do not indicate the specialized function of measuring time (a clepsydra). A B1 learner who knows the words would not predict the timekeeping meaning from the parts alone, so the expression is idiomatic in that sense.
Etymology
Water glass as a time device was a vessel where water flowed out at a steady rate, and people watched the water in the glass to measure time, so the name came to mean a simple water clock.