clock-face

clock-face

The teacher points to the large clock-face on the classroom wall.

Definition

Noun: - The clock-face is the dial or surface of a clock or watch, on which the hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds are marked with numbers or symbols, and around which the hands move to indicate the time.

Usage Examples
  • (The dial of the clock showing the time.)
  • (The surface of the clock displaying the hour markings.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to read the clock-face": to interpret the time from the dial of a clock.

    • Young children learn to read the clock-face in primary school. (They learn to tell time by looking at the dial.)
  • "clock-face layout": a design or arrangement that resembles the circular pattern of a clock dial.

    • The garden was arranged in a clock-face layout, with paths radiating from a central fountain. (The garden's design mimicked the circular structure of a clock dial.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Clock (n): a device for measuring and showing time, typically with a face and hands.

    • The clock on the wall chimed loudly. (The timekeeping device.)
  • Clockwise (adj/adv): in the direction in which the hands of a clock move (from top to right, then down, then left, and back to top).

    • Turn the knob clockwise to increase the volume. (In the direction of a clock's hands.)
  • Clockwork (n): a mechanism with a spring and gears, like that of a mechanical clock.

    • The toy moved with precise clockwork. (A mechanism similar to a clock's inner workings.)
Synonyms
  • Dial: the face of a clock or watch, especially one with a circular scale.
    • The watch's dial was easy to read. (The surface showing the time.)
Related Idioms
  • "like clockwork": very regularly and without problems.

    • The train arrived like clockwork at exactly 8:00 a.m. (Very punctually and reliably.)
  • "turn back the clock": to return to an earlier time or state.

    • He wished he could turn back the clock and make a different choice. (Reverse time or undo past actions.)