noun
- Plural of clepsydra; ancient timekeeping devices that measured time by the regulated flow of water from one container to another.
Usage: Formal/technical term; Primarily historical or archaeological context
Examples
- Ancient Egyptian clepsydrae were among the earliest mechanical timekeeping instruments.
- The museum's collection includes several Greek clepsydrae from the Hellenistic period.
- Clepsydrae were used in courtrooms to limit the duration of speeches.
- Scholars study clepsydrae to understand how ancients measured time without mechanical clocks.
- The design of clepsydrae influenced later developments in horology.