clock
Meaning
a device that shows the time of day, typically by means of hands or changing numbers on a dial, and is often kept in a room or worn on the wrist.
to achieve a time of a particular kind in a race or to record the time of an event, journey, or process.
Usage
the old grandfather clock chimed midnight.
she clocked the fastest time in the qualifying round.
i need to clock in at work by 9 am.
Etymology
the journey of "clock" begins with the imitation of sound. the medieval latin word "clocca", likely of celtic origin, was onomatopoeic, mimicking the ringing of a bell. this term passed into various european languages, such as old french "cloche" and middle dutch "clocke". in medieval times, time was often signaled to a community by the tolling of a church or town bell. when mechanical timekeeping devices were developed, they incorporated a bell to strike the hours, leading to the transfer of the name from the bell itself to the entire time-telling mechanism. thus, the modern english word "clock" retains this historical link, evolving from a simple sound to denote the complex instrument that measures time.
Analysis
the word "clock" is a simplex word. it is a loanword into english from middle dutch "clocke", meaning "bell". its ultimate origin is medieval latin "clocca", likely of celtic or onomatopoeic origin, imitating the sound of a bell.