water clocks

English - English

Definition of water clocks in English English dictionary: plural form of water clock
water clock: A clepsydra
water clock: A device for measuring time by letting water flow out of a container, usually through a tiny aperture
water clock: {i} device used for setting a specific period of time
water clock: clock that measures time by the escape of water
water clock: An instrument or machine serving to measure time by the fall, or flow, of a certain quantity of water; a clepsydra
water clock: 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

water clocks

Hyphenation

wa·ter clocks

wôtır kläks

/ˈwôtər ˈkläks/ /ˈwɔːtɜr ˈklɑːks/

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