clockwork
/ˈklɑkˌwɜrk/
noun
- A mechanism with gears and springs, like the inside of a clock or a wind-up toy.
- The old toy soldier moved thanks to its intricate clockwork.
- He opened the back of the watch to admire the delicate clockwork inside.
- The museum displayed a collection of antique clockwork animals.
- Used in phrases to describe something that happens very regularly or smoothly, like a machine.
- The team's offense ran like clockwork, scoring on every possession.
- Her daily routine is clockwork: wake, run, shower, and leave by seven.
- Every morning, like clockwork, the mail arrives at exactly ten o'clock.
adjective
- Operated by a clockwork mechanism; wind-up.
- The clockwork train chugged around the track without batteries.
- She collected clockwork birds that chirped when wound.
- The child wound up his clockwork car and set it on the floor.