The story
- Middle English · inherited fromof the clokke
- English todayo'clock
Shortened form of "of the clock", from Middle English of the clokke [from late 14th c.].
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
o'clock
Today it means: In conjunction with a numeral, indicates the time within a twelve-hour period (midnight to noon or noon to midnight), specifically the time when the hour hand of a clock points precisely to the symbol or marking corresponding to the designated numeral, i.e., at the hour. Full definition →
Middle English of the clokke