Tock

Tock is the onomatopoeic representation of a single stroke in the tick-tock sound produced by mechanical clocks and metronomes. In English, tock is often paired with tick to describe the alternating sounds that mark the passage of time. The term is frequently used in literature, music, film, and everyday speech to convey rhythm, punctuality, or the inevitability of time.

In computing, TOCK refers to an open-source embedded operating system for microcontrollers. The project aims to provide a safe, sandboxed environment for running multiple software components on resource-limited devices. Implemented in Rust, TOCK emphasizes memory safety and process isolation; its architecture uses capsules to separate kernel services from user-facing applications. It supports a range of hardware platforms common in IoT research and education. The project is maintained by a community of developers and researchers and is used in academic and hobbyist contexts to explore secure embedded systems.

Capitalization varies by usage: lowercase tock generally denotes the sound or the word in everyday language, while uppercase TOCK is used for the embedded OS name. The term’s simple form and dual life as both a sound and a project name contribute to its frequent appearance in diverse discussions, from clock folklore to technology and open-source software.