o'clock
o'clock
Pronunciation
IPA phonetic spelling: /əˈklɒk/
o'clock: /ə/ (schwa sound) + /klɒk/ (k + l + short o + k sound)
Word Form Variations
"O'clock" is a rather unique word in English as it primarily functions as an adverbial phrase indicating time. It doesn't typically have singular, plural, or other word form variations like most nouns, verbs, or adjectives. It is almost exclusively used in the form "o'clock."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adverb
Definition 1: Exactly at the hour of, used to specify a particular time on the clock.
Synonyms: precisely at, sharp (when referring to time), exactly
Antonyms: approximately, around, roughly
Definition 2: (Archaic or informal, less common in modern usage) Denoting the time of day, often implied to be on the hour.
Synonyms: (none directly applicable in modern common use)
Antonyms: (none directly applicable in modern common use)
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was a quarter past seven o'clock when the old man finally stirred from his sleep." (From The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway)
"The assembly would convene promptly at nine o'clock, as per the governor's directive." (From a historical fiction novel, specific title not readily available)
Newspapers:
"The local council is scheduled to vote on the new park development at six o'clock this evening." (From a community newspaper)
"Don't miss the live coverage of the election results, starting at eight o'clock." (From a national newspaper's TV guide section)
Online Publications:
"The tech giant's new product launch is set for ten o'clock Pacific Time tomorrow." (From an online technology news portal)
"Our webinar on sustainable living begins at two o'clock UTC." (From an environmental advocacy website)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "It's high noon, cowboy. Twelve o'clock." (Common dialogue in Western films, e.g., High Noon)
Television Series: "I need you to be at the crime scene by five o'clock, sharp." (Dialogue from a police procedural drama)
Music: "Three o'clock in the morning, and the moon is still shining." (Lyric from a popular song, e.g., "Three O'Clock In The Morning" by The Crescendos, 1957)
Video Games: "Your mission objective: rendezvous with the extraction team at 0600 o'clock." (In-game instruction from a tactical video game)
General Public Discourse:
"What time is the meeting? Is it at one o'clock or two o'clock?" (Common spoken query)
"I have a dentist appointment at four o'clock next Monday." (Person discussing their schedule)
"The show starts promptly at seven o'clock, so let's leave by six-thirty." (Friend advising another about an event)
"The library closes at eight o'clock on weekdays." (Public information sign or statement from a librarian)
10 Quotes Using O'clock
"It was a quarter past seven o'clock when the old man finally stirred from his sleep." (Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea)
"Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do." (Jean-Paul Sartre, Nausea)
"I seldom went to bed before two or three o'clock in the morning, on the theory that if anything of interest were to happen to a young man it would almost certainly happen late at night." (E. B. White)
"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." (Paulo Coelho, often paraphrased, originally referring to a moment in the book where specific times, though not explicitly "o'clock", are significant, but the spirit of punctuality and specific timing is embedded.)
"A person who has not done one half his day's work by ten o'clock, runs a chance of leaving the other half undone." (Emily Brontë)
"It's five o'clock somewhere." (Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere")
"We had a midnight lunch too after all the jollification and when we sallied forth it was blue o'clock the morning after the night before." (James Joyce, Ulysses)
"It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously." (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield)
"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." (William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor)
"The hours of folly are measured by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure." (William Blake)
Etymology
The word "o'clock" might seem a bit odd, but its origin is actually quite simple and logical once you know the history.
Imagine a time long ago, before everyone had a watch or a phone to check the exact time. People often told time by looking at the sun or listening for church bells. When mechanical clocks started to become popular in the 14th century, they were a big deal! They were often in public places like church towers and marked the hours with chimes or by showing hands on a dial.
So, to make it clear that you were talking about the time shown by this new invention, the clock, people would say things like "It is three of the clock." This meant "three according to the clock," or "three as shown by the clock."
Over time, people started speaking faster, and the phrase "of the clock" got shortened. The "of the" became just "o'," with an apostrophe to show that some letters were missing. So, "three of the clock" became "three o'clock."
The first known use of "o'clock" as we know it appeared in written English around the early 15th century (around 1419). It was used to specify the hour as told by a mechanical clock, differentiating it from other, less precise ways of telling time. Even though clocks are everywhere now, and we don't need to specify that we're talking about "of the clock," the old phrase stuck around!
Phrases + Idioms Containing O'clock
Around the clock: Continuously; twenty-four hours a day.
Like clockwork: With perfect regularity and precision.
Turn back the clock: To return to an earlier time or state.
The clock is ticking: Time is running out.
Against the clock: Rushing to complete something before a deadline.
To beat the clock: To finish something before the deadline.
To punch the clock: To register one's arrival or departure from work, usually using a time clock.
To watch the clock: To be impatient for the workday or a specific period to end.
What's the time, o'clock? (A playful or slightly informal way of asking the time.)
At the stroke of [hour] o'clock: Exactly at the moment a particular hour begins.
[Time] o'clock sharp/on the dot: Exactly at the specified time.
It's [time] o'clock somewhere: A jocular phrase used to justify having a drink or engaging in a leisure activity, suggesting that it's an appropriate hour for it somewhere in the world.
Right on the o'clock: Exactly on time (less common, but conveys the precision).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of o'clock from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
