Middle English Dictionary Entry
clok(ke n.
Entry Info
| Forms | clok(ke n. |
| Etymology | OF cloke, cloque, var. of cloche a bell. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A clock; esp., one which strikes the hours; (b) at (the) ~, atte ~, of (the) ~, on the ~, the ~, by the clock, o'clock.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1370) Doc.York in Sur.Soc.35181 : Till itte be hegh none smytyn by ye clocke.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4044 : Wel sikerer was his crowyng..Than is a clokke or an abbey orlogge.
- (1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4267 : Unum clok cum magnis spyndelis et rotis fereis.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3204 : Vpon þe hour whan þe cloke is nyne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)83 : Clokke [vr. Clok]: Horisonium, horologium.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)670 : Euene as the clok seuene had smet, She entryd.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)118 : Thouȝ in Scripture mensioun is maad of orologis, schewing the houris of the dai bi schadew..certis neuere saue in late daies was eny clok telling the houris of the dai and nyȝt bi peise and bi stroke.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4928 : To kepe the clokke, take hede to the chymes, wynde vp the peys and the plummys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)26a : A Cloke [vr. clokke]: orologium, horecucium.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)136/618 : When the clok stroke twelf was he forshapyn.
b
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)55/68 : We schole..come in to þe chirche..by vij of þe clokke.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.14 : It was ten at the clokke.
- (1416) Ordin.Gregge in Hadley Hist.Kingston745 : Atte sex on ye clok atte ye morn..on sex of ye clok atte evyn.
- (1416) Ordin.Gregge in Hadley Hist.Kingston746 : At sex atte clok atte morn..atte evyn at sex ye clok.
- (1418) Let.War France in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)77/6 : And come to seint dunstanes in þe Est a monday..at eyghte of clok.
- (1430) Astr.Cal.in Palaeog.Soc.ser.2.172b : A lytyl before 9 of þe cloke before noyne.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)64 : Tyl it was x on the clok on the morwe.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)19 : The bytyng tyme ys erly by the morow from iiij at cloke vn to viij.
- (1458-60) Acc.St.Andrew Hubbard in BMag.31249 : Paied to a man for amendyng of the Clocke.
- (1459) Let.Sou.in Sou.RS 22 (Sou SC.2/9/2)20 : Writen..the xvij daye of Octobr At ix atte clokke in the nyght.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4928 : That at twelve of the clokke at noon..he do the chymes smythe Requiem eternam.
- (c1465) Paston (Gairdner)4.49 : At ij of clok after mydnythe.
- ?c1475 Jousts of Peace (Lnsd 285)206 : To appeer at ix of the clok [Mrg: belle] bofore noone, & to juste..unto vi of the clok [Mrg: belle] at aftir noone.
2.
Combs.: ~ bell; ~ chaumbre; ~ fet, the base of a clock; ~ hous, a building or steeple housing a public clock; ~ line, a rope for suspending the weights in a clock; ~ maker, one who makes and repairs clocks, a clock maker; also, as surname.
Associated quotations
- (1374) *Mun.B.Bridgewater1650 : Clokkemakyer.
- (c1380) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103590 : In uno cloklyn..de 40 fathome in longitudine.
- (c1390) in Fransson Surn.136 : Hans Clokkemaker.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5219/30 : Johanni Clokmaker..ad cariandum j clokke de London vsque Bolyngbroke.
- (1396) *Close R.19 Rich.II m.2d [OD col.] : In quadam domo vocata le Clokhous in palacio Westm[onasteriensi].
- (1400) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.92 : [The chamber above the outer gate with..the] clokhous.
- (1448) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 1351 : We have payde to ye clocke maker.
- (?a1440) Doc.St.Alb.in RS 28.5 pt.2 [MLDict.col.] (Arun 34)260 : In reparatione studii Abbatis et camerae vocatae 'le Clokchambre'.
- (1453) Mem.Ripon in Sur.Soc.81161 : Operanti ibidem super le Clokbell.
- (1465) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 1687 : We payde for timb'r for ye clocke fete.
- -?-(1472) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.96192 : Johannis Rypplay, clokmaker.