clock
gb/klˈɑk/ us/klˈɑk/
A1
Anglais
~ 3000
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A1
entity
1
Device for telling time
A device that shows what time it is.
Schéma d’usage :
a [adjective] clock
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'clock' with 'watch'; 'clock' is usually for a fixed device, while 'watch' is worn on the wrist.
Synonymes
timepiece (More formal or old-fashioned term for any device that tells time.)
Antonymes
timer (Counts down or up from a set time rather than showing the current time.)
Collocations
alarm clock
|wall clock
|digital clock
|clock face
|set the clock
Thèmes
daily life
|technology
|home
|time
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The clock on the wall stopped at noon.
- She glanced at the clock and realized she was late.
- I bought a new digital clock for my bedroom.
- The clock struck midnight.
- He set the clock ahead by five minutes.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The clock says it is three o’clock.
- I have a big clock in my kitchen.
- This clock is very old.
- My clock is broken.
- I look at the clock every morning.
Verbe
informal
B1
action
2
Measure or record time or speed
To find out how fast something is or how long it takes by using a timer or measurement device.
Schéma d’usage :
to clock [someone/something] at [speed/time]
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners confuse this meaning with 'clock in' (to register arrival at work), which is related but more specific.
Synonymes
time (General term for measuring duration, not necessarily speed.)
Antonymes
guess (To estimate without measuring accurately.)
Collocations
clock a runner
|clock a lap time
|clocked at 90 mph
Thèmes
sports
|transport
|measurement
|science
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The police clocked the car at 100 miles per hour.
- She clocked her best marathon time this year.
- The technician clocked the machine’s cycle at two seconds.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The car was clocked at 80 km/h.
- They clocked my run at 10 minutes.
- The police clocked the bike going fast.
Verbe
informal
B2
action
3
Hit in the face or head
To hit someone hard in the face or head.
Schéma d’usage :
to clock [someone]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may think this meaning relates to time; it is slang for hitting and unrelated to measuring time.
Synonymes
punch (More general term for hitting with a closed fist.)
Antonymes
caress (To touch gently, as an opposite action to hitting.)
Collocations
clock him one
|clocked her right in the jaw
Thèmes
violence
|slang
|daily_life
Exemples
- He threatened to clock anyone who came closer.
- She clocked him before he could react.
- I nearly got clocked for interrupting their argument.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He clocked the man in the face.
- She clocked him hard.
- The boy was clocked by another boy.
Verbe
informal
B2
action
4
Notice or recognize quickly
To see or realize something quickly.
Schéma d’usage :
to clock [someone/something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with recording time; here it means noticing something visually or mentally.
Synonymes
spot (Common informal term for noticing something visually.)
Antonymes
overlook (To fail to notice something.)
Collocations
clocked him across the room
|clock what’s going on
Thèmes
perception
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- I clocked him as soon as he entered the room.
- She didn’t clock the mistake until later.
- He finally clocked what they were talking about.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I clocked my friend in the shop.
- She did not clock the error.
- They clocked him when he came in.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
clock
API
GB/klˈɑk/
US/klˈɑk/
Syllabes et accentuation
clock (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (clock)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: clock
- Plural: clocks
Verb
- Base: clock
- 3rd Person Singular: clocks
- Present Participle: clocking
- Past: clocked
Famille de mots
Forms
clocks
noun
clocking
verb
clocked
verb
Core family
clockwise
adverb
Related words
clockwork
noun
clockmaker
noun
Negative and opposite forms
counterclockwise
adverb
anticlockwise
adverb
Expressions
around the clock
1/ɚˈaʊnd ðə klˈɑk/
idiom
All day and night without stopping
All the time, day and night, without stopping.
Exemples
- The hospital is open around the clock.
- They worked around the clock to finish the project.
clock in
1/klˈɑk ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
Record start work time
To record the time you start working, usually by using a card or computer system.
Exemples
- Employees must clock in before starting their shifts.
- I forgot to clock in this morning.
clock out
1/klˈɑk ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Record finish work time
To record the time you stop working, usually by using a card or computer system.
Exemples
- Don’t forget to clock out before you leave.
- She clocked out early today.
race against the clock
1/ɹˈeɪs əɡˈɛnst ðə klˈɑk/
idiom
Compete with a deadline limit
To try to finish something before you run out of time.
Exemples
- It was a race against the clock to get the report done.
- They raced against the clock to rescue survivors.
turn back the clock
1/tˈɚn bˈæk ðə klˈɑk/
idiom
Return to an earlier time or state
To go back to a past time or situation that has ended.
Exemples
- You can’t turn back the clock on progress.
- He wished he could turn back the clock and fix his mistakes.