clockBrE /klɒk/ NAmE /klɑːk/► SEE ALLaround/round the clockput/turn the clock backrun out the clockbeat the clocka race against time/the clockagainst timewatch the clock ●around/round the ˈclockfor twenty-four hours without stopping日夜不停；夜以继日◆The police watched the house round the clock but no one went in or came out. 警察夜以继日地监视这所房子，可是没有人进出。◆Her mother needs round-the-clock care and attention. 她母亲需要一天 24 小时有人看护。●put/turn the ˈclock backreturn to the past; return to old-fashioned ideas, customs, etc.倒退；复旧；开倒车◆Sometimes I wish I could turn the clock back to my days as a student. 有时我希望时光能倒流，回到我的学生时代。◆These new restrictions on medical research will undoubtedly put the clock back (by) 20 years. 这些新禁令无疑会使医学研究倒退到 20 年前的状态。●run out the ˈclock (NAmE) if a sports team tries to run out the clock at the end of a game, it stops trying to score and just tries to keep hold of the ball to stop the other team from scoring（比赛快结束时持球）消耗时间以阻止对方得分●beat the ˈclockfinish a task, race, etc. before a particular time提前完成任务（或比赛等）●a ˌrace against ˈtime/the ˈclocka situation in which you have to do sth or finish sth very fast before it is too late和时间赛跑；争分夺秒◆It was a race against time to reach the shore before the boat sank.赶在船沉之前靠岸是在与时间赛跑。●against ˈtime ( against the ˈclock) if you do sth against time, you do it as fast as you can because you do not have much time抢时间；争分夺秒◆We’ve only got two days to find a replacement, so we’re racing against time.我们只有两天的时间找接替者，所以我们正在抓紧时间。◆They’re working against the clock to try and get people out of the rubble alive.他们分秒必争，努力把人们活着从瓦砾中救出来。●watch the ˈclock (disapproving) often check what time it is, because you are impatient for sth to finish or to happen盯着钟表（盼望某事早结束或发生）◆Someone who spends all their time watching the clock is usually not a good worker.总盯着表看的人通常都不是好工人。▸ˈclock-watching
noun
◆Don’t spend the afternoon clock-watching.别把整个下午都浪费在看表上。▸ˈclock-watcher