waterclock

Liquid hour measurer

A waterclock is an ancient timekeeping device that measures time by the regulated flow of water into or out of a container.

Markings on the vessel indicate elapsed time as the water level changes.

Waterclocks were used across ancient civilizations—Egyptian, Greek, Chinese—before mechanical clocks replaced them.

Also called a clepsydra.

ancient

antiquity

Great age, ancient era

  • BabylonAncient Mesopotamian capital
  • EgyptNortheastern African nation
  • GreeceBalkan peninsula nation

Rome · horology · timekeeping · astronomy · papyrus · temple · artifact · Zhou · Persia · India

timekeeping

hour

Sixty-minute span

temporal · schedule · measurement · division · marks · nocturnal · incense · candle · sundial · hourglass

mechanism

reservoir

Large water storage basin

  • floatBuoyant object or vehicle
  • overflowExceed capacity and spill
  • dripLiquid falling slowly

flow · siphon · valve · vessel · basin · channel · tube · orifice · regulator · calibration

Opposites
timekeeping mechanism

waterclockdigital clock

Timekeeper showing numerals

quartz watch · atomic clock · smartwatch · digital watch · electronic timer

Family

water, clock, waters, watered, watering, waterless, watery, clocks, clocked

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G