klok

Klok is the Dutch word for a clock, a device that measures and displays time. In everyday use, a klok may be analog or digital, and it often serves as a time reference in homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

In Dutch, klok is used to describe both simple and sophisticated timepieces. Common phrases include analoge klok for an analog clock and digitale klok for a digital clock. The term appears in clocks’ design, advertising, and daily scheduling without requiring specialized terminology.

Klok is also a surname of Dutch origin. As a family name, it can be found among people of Dutch heritage and in regions where Dutch toponyms and surnames are present. Surnames derived from occupations or objects, such as klok, are a typical feature of Dutch-onomastics.

The word is embedded in Dutch culture through media and institutions. Het Klokhuis, a long-running Dutch children's science program, uses a name that translates roughly as The Clock House, reflecting a focus on time, science, and exploration. The concept of the klok also appears in various brands, local clocks, and public clocks that mark city life.

Historically, clocks emerged in medieval Europe and evolved from mechanical timekeepers to modern quartz and atomic clocks. The Dutch tradition of clockmaking contributed to the broader development of accurate timekeeping in Europe. As a common noun and cultural element, klok remains the everyday term for timepieces in Dutch.