pocket watch
12
3.5
- noun
- /ˈpɑkɪt wɑtʃ/
- Archaic
:
reloj de bolsillo
- Chilver got out his pocket watch and flicked open the case with a brisk movement of his thumb.
And finally, I guess they they had a pocket watch chain in the in the costume, which is nice.
- And finally, I guess they they had a pocket watch chain in the in the costume, which is nice.
Examples
-
To pay for the purchase, he was obliged to sell a pocket watch that had belonged to his great-grandfather.
Academic text (1995) -
Floyd pulled his pocket watch out of the pocket of his dungarees and opened the lid.
Fiction book (1994) -
Do you have a pocket watch?
-
- It's my pocket watch, sir.
-
Take hold of this pocket watch.
-
You carry a pocket watch.
-
But Jim did have one possession of which he was proud: his pocket watch.
Fiction book (2001) -
Up 'til then, people just carried pocket watches.
-
As a parting gift, the father put his pocket watch into his son's damp palm.
Fiction book (1991) -
He carefully pulled out his pocket watch to check the time during the meeting.
Synonyms
637
1.0
A small thing worn on the wrist to tell the time
5
9.3
A pocket watch with a metal cover that protects the glass
1
6.8
A small watch that you carry in a pocket or wear on your wrist
A small pocket clock with a hinged metal lid that protects the glass
How Portable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a watch designed to be carried in a pocket' is directly and compositionally derived from 'pocket' (a small pouch) + 'watch' (timepiece). This straightforward noun–noun compound follows common cross-linguistic compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Pocket watch comes from the simple image of a watch kept in a pocket and fastened to a short chain so it would not fall out. That's why it means 'a watch made to be carried in a pocket'.