grandfather clock

noun

: a tall pendulum clock that stands on the floor

called also grandfather, grandfather's clock

Examples of grandfather clock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When the weights in a grandfather clock reach the bottom of their chains, the clock stops. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024

Hager likes to style grandfather clocks in foyers and hallways. —Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024

But the only way to get the grandfather clock that features the Martinsville Speedway logo with the race date is to win a NASCAR Cup Series Race, a NASCAR Xfinity Series or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville. —Bruce Martin, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Humans have long kept time to regular phenomena, from the waxing and waning of the moon to the lulling swings of the pendulum in a grandfather clock. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from the song My Grandfather's Clock (1876) by Henry C. Work †1884 American songwriter

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

grandfather clock

noun

: a tall clock standing directly on the floor