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digital watch

digital watch

3 1.6
A watch that shows the time as numbers on a screen
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪdʒɪtəl wɑtʃ/
translation icon : reloj digital
  • As he walks away, Ernest taps on his digital watch and holds it to his ear.
  • a cheap digital watch
  • wear a digital watch
  • set a digital watch

Examples

  • In the end, Tracy gave her a digital watch, which Posy wore for several days.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Okay, I have a digital watch from the future.

  • One Timex digital watch, broken.

  • The alarm on Dignan's digital watch goes off.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • I'd been to Macy's and seen a digital watch that told the time in every country in the world.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It's a digital watch.

  • She lifts her digital watch up and sets her timer with a beep.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Digital watches and clocks can be accurately set for 50 cents by calling the U.S. Naval Observatory's master clock at 900-410-TIME.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Stark rolled up his sleeves, revealing sinewy forearms and a large, stainless steel digital watch that was adorned with many miniature keys.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I checked the time on my digital watch to see if I was late for the meeting.

Synonyms

wristwatch
vsdigital watch
22 1.0

A small watch you wear on your wrist

emphasizes time shown with digits on an electronic display not where it's worn
smartwatch
vsdigital watch
2 3.4

A watch that connects to your phone and tracks health and messages

focuses only on time shown as digits on an electronic display

How Digital

smartwatch
2 3.4
digital watch
3 1.6
analog watch
  • US
1 3.2

Surface Forms

digital watch singular

Morphology

digital + watch

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'digital' (numeric/electronic) with 'watch' (a timekeeping device): it denotes a watch that displays time with digits/electronic display. This modifier + noun composition is a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Digital watch: The name digital watch comes from digital meaning 'numbers' and the watch shows the time with numbers on a small screen instead of with moving hands, so it means a watch that displays the time as digits.