o'clock

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈklɑk/ UK /əˈklɒk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adv
Used with a number to say the exact hour of the day.

The meeting starts at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
2

adv
Used with a number to describe a direction, as if from the centre of a clock face.

The plane appeared at three o'clock, off to our right.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms four-o'clocko'clockish

Related forms sharp

Etymology

Shortened form of "of the clock", from Middle English of the clokke [from late 14th c.].

of the clokke Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# o'clock

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /əˈklɑk/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈklɒk/

## Meanings
1. Used with a number to say the exact hour of the day.
2. Used with a number to describe a direction, as if from the centre of a clock face.

## Examples
- The meeting starts at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
- The plane appeared at three o'clock, off to our right.

## Derived Forms
- four-o'clock
- o'clockish

## Related Forms
- sharp

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: of the clokke

## Etymology
Shortened form of "of the clock", from Middle English of the clokke [from late 14th c.].

## AI Etymology
O'clock shortened form of "of the clock", from Middle English of the clokke [from late 14th c.]. Modern senses include used with a number to say the exact hour of the day and used with a number to describe a direction, as if from the centre of a clock face. The wider word family includes derivatives such as four-o'clock and o'clockish and related forms such as sharp.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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