Etymology

clockwork

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Today it means: A mechanism powered by a coiled spring and regulated by some form of escapement; the power is transmitted through toothed gearwheels and used to drive a mechanical clock, toy, or other device. Full definition →

English clock ← Middle English clokke ← Middle Dutch clocke
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The story

  1. Proto-Celtic*klokkosder.?
  2. Early Medieval Latinclocca
  3. Old Northern Frenchcloque
  4. Old Dutch*klokka
  5. Middle Dutchclocke
  6. Middle Englishclokke
  7. Englishclock
  8. English todayclockwork

From clock + -work.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.