water clock

English - English

Definition of water clock in English English dictionary

A clepsydra

A device for measuring time by letting water flow out of a container, usually through a tiny aperture

{i} device used for setting a specific period of time

clock that measures time by the escape of water

An instrument or machine serving to measure time by the fall, or flow, of a certain quantity of water; a clepsydra

A clepsydra. or clepsydra Ancient device for measuring time by the gradual flow of water. One form, used by North American Indians and some African peoples, consisted of a small boat or floating vessel that shipped water through a hole until it sank. In another form, water escaped through a hole in a vessel marked with graduated lines; specimens from Egypt date from the 14th century BC. The Romans invented a clepsydra consisting of a cylinder into which water dripped from a reservoir; a float provided readings against a scale on the cylinder wall. Galileo used a mercury clepsydra to time his experimental falling bodies. See also clock

Related Terms

water clocks

plural form of water clock

waterclock

Alternative spelling of water clock

Hyphenation

wa·ter clock

Turkish pronunciation

wôtır kläk

Pronunciation

/ˈwôtər ˈkläk/ /ˈwɔːtɜr ˈklɑːk/