klok

From Dutch klok, from Middle Dutch clocke, from Old Dutch *clocca, from Proto-West Germanic *klokkā, from Medieval Latin clocca, from Old Irish cloc.

• IPA^(key): /klɔk/

• Audio:

  (file)

klok (plural klokke, diminutive klokkie)

1. clock

• klokke (obsolete)

• IPA^(key): /klɔk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: klok
• Rhymes: -ɔk

From early modern klokke, from Middle Dutch clocke, from Old Dutch *clocca, from Proto-West Germanic *klokkā, from Medieval Latin clocca, from Old Irish cloc, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos (“bell”), ultimately of onomatopoeic origin. In Early Modern Dutch, too, klokke still referred primarily to a bell, which is the word's original meaning and from which sense the word klokkentoren (“bell tower”) for example derives; the sense clock is a relatively recent development.

klok f (plural klokken, diminutive klokje n)

1. clock

   Synonyms: uurwerk, (Belgium) horloge

2. (Netherlands, informal) watch, wristwatch

   Synonym: horloge

3. bell
4. protective cloche
5. (often diminutive) something bell-shaped, as some flowers

• Afrikaans: klok
• Berbice Creole Dutch: klok
• Jersey Dutch: klök
• Negerhollands: klok, klock
• → Papiamentu: klòk, klok
• → West Frisian: klok

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

klok

1. inflection of klokken:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

klok f (plural klokke, diminutive klokske)

1. Veldeke spelling of Klock

From Proto-Germanic *klōkaz.

klōk

1. smart, clever

• → Middle High German: kluoc
  • German: klug
  • Yiddish: קלוג (klug)
• → Old Norse: klókr
  • Danish: klog
  • Faroese: klókur
  • Icelandic: klókur
  • Norwegian Bokmål: klok
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: klok
  • Old Swedish: kloker
    • Swedish: klok

• "klōk" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelniederdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

From Old Norse klókr, from Middle Low German klok.

klok (neuter singular klokt, definite singular and plural kloke, comparative klokere, indefinite superlative klokest, definite superlative klokeste)

1. wise

• etterpåklok

• “klok” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse klókr, from Middle Low German klok.

klok (neuter klokt, definite singular and plural kloke, comparative klokare, indefinite superlative klokast, definite superlative klokaste)

1. wise

• etterpåklok
• kloking

• “klok” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• (Lesser Poland):
  • (Eastern Kraków) IPA^(key): /ˈklɔk/

klok m inan

1. (Eastern Kraków, Gmina Stopnica) alternative form of klęk (“lower part of an ard”)

• Jan Karłowicz (1901) “klęk”, in Słownik gwar polskich [Dictionary of Polish dialects] (in Polish), volume 2: F do K, Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności, page 367

From Old Swedish kloker, from Old Norse klókr, from Middle Low German klôk, from Old Saxon *klōk, from Proto-Germanic *klōkaz.

• Audio:

  (file)

klok (comparative klokare, superlative klokast)

1. wise, intelligent, prudent

   ett klokt beslut

   a wise decision

   • 1984, Adam av Bremen, translated by Emanuel Svenberg, Historien om Hamburgstiftet och dess biskopar‎^[1], Proprius förlag, accessed at Litteraturbanken.se, courtesy of Göteborgs universitetsbibliotek & Samfundet pro fide et christianismo, archived from the original on 21 March 2025, page 197:

     [Adalbert blev] avrådd av danernas mycket kloke kung.

     Adalbert was dissuaded by the very prudent king of the Danes.

   • 2000 December 18, “Markus 12:34”, in Bibel 2000‎^[2], © Svenska Bibelsällskapet, accessed at Bible.com, archived from the original on 21 March 2025:

     När Jesus hörde att mannen svarade klokt sade han: »Du har inte långt till Guds rike.«

     When Jesus heard that the man answered wisely, he said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

• klokhet
• oklok

• klok in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker
• klok in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

klok

1. alternative form of kilok

klok (nominative plural kloks)

1. bell