Word
clockwise
Phoneticsclock·wise
US/ˈkɫɑˌkwaɪz/
UK/klˈɒkwaɪz/
Definition
adv. moving in the same direction as the hands of a clock. You use this to describe a circular motion that turns to the right at the top.
adv. moving in a direction that corresponds to the rotation of the hands of a clock. Often used to describe rotational movement or the orientation of a sequence.
Examples
“Turn the key clockwise to unlock the door.”
“The instructions say to stir the mixture clockwise for three minutes until it becomes thick.”
“The dancers moved in a clockwise direction around the fire, maintaining a steady rhythm that matched the beating of the drums.”
Examples
simple
“Turn the key clockwise to unlock the door.”
contextual
“The instructions say to stir the mixture clockwise for three minutes until it becomes thick.”
complex
“The dancers moved in a clockwise direction around the fire, maintaining a steady rhythm that matched the beating of the drums.”
Usage
Can function as both an adverb and an adjective without changing form. When used as an adverb, it typically follows the verb it modifies.
Etymology
From clock + -wise.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/clockwise