NYT Dictionary

CLOCK

/klɑk/
NounVerbKLAHKGrade 3

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

A chronometer, an instrument that measures time, particularly the time of day.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *klokkosder. Early Medieval Latin cloccader. Old Northern French cloquebor. Old Dutch *klokka Middle Dutch clockebor. Middle English clokke English clock First use appears c. 1370. From Middle English clokke, clok, cloke (“clock”), from Middle Dutch clocke (“bell, clock”), from Old Dutch *klokka, from Medieval Latin clocca (“bell, clock, cloak”), probably of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos (“bell”) (compare Welsh cloch (“bell”), Old Irish cloc (“bell, clock”)), either onomatopoeic or from Proto-Indo-European *klek- (“to laugh, cackle”) (compare Proto-Germanic *hlahjaną (“to laugh”)). Cognate with Old English clucge (“bell”), Saterland Frisian Klokke (“bell, clock”), Dutch klok (“clock, bell”), Low German Klock (“bell, clock”), German Glocke (“bell”), Danish and Norwegian klokke (“clock, bell”), Faroese klokka (“clock, bell”), Icelandic klukka (“clock, bell”), Swedish klocka (“clock, bell”), Asturian llueca (“cowbell”), Galician and Portuguese choca (“cowbell”), Doublet of cloak and cloche.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

odometerchronometerclock patiencetimeslugsmackthumpwhackreadturn back (the vehicle's) clock

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 7 recorded puzzles:

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