Wristwatches

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small clock designed to be worn around the wrist for checking the time
2. A compact device showing the time that is strapped to a person's wrist
3. An easily accessible clock worn on the wrist to keep track of hours and minutes

Etymology: "Wristwatches" is simply the plural of "wristwatch," so the word is best understood through its parts. "Wrist" comes from Old English "wrist," meaning the joint between the hand and the forearm, while "watch" traces back to Old English "wæcce," a period of being awake or on guard, which later came to mean a timekeeping device carried on the person. Put together, the compound describes a timepiece worn on the wrist rather than carried in a pocket or on a chain, which is what distinguishes it from the older pocket watch. The combination is transparent: the wrist supplies the location and the watch supplies the function.

Synonyms: timepieces, wrist timekeepers