cuckoo clock

noun

1. a wall or shelf clock, often carved and decorated, that announces the hours by a sound like the call of the cuckoo, usually accompanied by the appearance of an imitation bird through a little door.

cuckoo clock

noun

1. a clock in which a mechanical cuckoo pops out with a sound like a cuckoo's call when the clock strikes

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuckoo clock¹

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Nor did it hurt that the star sitting on it, like an angry bird in a giant cuckoo clock, was Jessica Chastain.

From New York Times

“The Haunted Mask,” “The Cuckoo Clock of Doom,” “Go Eat Worms!” and “Night of the Living Dummy” — for an original, serialized narrative.

From Los Angeles Times

He once told me how tears streamed down his face while he was driving away listening to “El Reloj Cucú” by Maná, which is a song written from the perspective of a kid seeking comfort in his little cuckoo clock after his father has left.

From Los Angeles Times

After all, it’s not every day you find Jessica Chastain rotating on a turntable like an angry bird in a giant cuckoo clock.

From New York Times

Her latest, “Time Is a Flower,” opens with a two-page spread that shows an inquisitive child gazing up at a cuckoo clock.

From New York Times