atomic clock
noun
: a precision clock that depends for its operation on an electrical oscillator regulated by the natural vibration frequencies of an atomic system (such as a beam of cesium atoms)
Examples of atomic clock in a Sentence
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Optical atomic clocks, accurate to picoseconds, will enable satellite constellations and ground stations to determine satellites’ locations with centimeter-level precision—avoiding potentially catastrophic in-orbit collisions.
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Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
In addition to housing famous politicians, 1 Observatory Circle is also home to a relic of history: the atomic clock, the most precise time scale in the world.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2024
The atomic clock’s lynchpin is the electron—to tell time, researchers use a laser to coax the electrons to jump back and forth between two specific energy levels.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
However, atomic clocks are also vulnerable to sync loss.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for atomic clock 
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Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
In addition to housing famous politicians, 1 Observatory Circle is also home to a relic of history: the atomic clock, the most precise time scale in the world.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2024
The atomic clock’s lynchpin is the electron—to tell time, researchers use a laser to coax the electrons to jump back and forth between two specific energy levels.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
However, atomic clocks are also vulnerable to sync loss.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for atomic clock
Dictionary Entries Near atomic clock
Cite this Entry
“Atomic clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atomic%20clock. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.
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