o'clock A1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction 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 AI details 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 Space, Position & Direction Time External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 - Space, Position & Direction - Time markdown