clock

CE5

A pendulum clock: Weight-driven clock mechanism

clock, instrument for measuring and indicating time. Predecessors of the clock were the sundial, the hourglass, and the clepsydra. See also watch.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Some Famous Clocks
• Electric and Other Clocks
• The Evolution of Mechanical Clocks
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2025, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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