clock pendulum

4.9

A weight on a rod that swings back and forth to keep a clock's time

noun

Specialized

: péndulo del reloj

In many traditional clocks, the clock pendulum plays a crucial role in maintaining accurate time.

Examples

Then he began kicking his legs, swinging back and forth like a clock pendulum.

Fiction book (2002)
Hardly any light made it past the drapes, but I could see the glint of the clock pendulum and the long-legged shape of the oscillating fan.

Fiction book (2000)
The clock pendulum swung steadily back and forth, keeping perfect time with each tick.
To regulate the timing mechanism, the clock pendulum must have a consistent and smooth motion.

Synonyms

pendulum

vsclock pendulum

125 4.3

A weight hanging from a fixed point that swings back and forth

is the form used to regulate a timepiece mechanism by regular swinging motion

How Precise

caesium clock

1 7.2

atomic clock

Specialized

5 4.3

quartz crystal

Specialized

1 5.1

clock pendulum

Specialized

4.9

Surface Forms

clock pendulum singular

clock pendulums plural

Morphology

clock + pendulum

The meaning is literally composed from 'clock' (a timekeeping device) + 'pendulum' (a swinging weight), i.e. the pendulum that belongs to or is used in a clock to regulate timing. This is a straightforward noun–noun composition found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The noun clock pendulum comes from the image of a swinging pendulum, a stick with a weight, moving back and forth inside a clock to make a steady beat. Because that steady swing controls the clock's speed, the name means the swinging weight that helps a clock 'keep time'.