| a clock of the early 19th century in the U.S., having a drumlike case for the dial mounted on a narrow, tapering body, with a boxlike bottom containing the pendulum and its weight. |
| banjo clock n. A pendulum clock having a round face, a relatively narrow elongated case, and a rectangular box at the bottom. |
banjo clock
type of clock, so named because its upper portion is shaped like an inverted banjo. The clock was patented by Simon Willard of Massachusetts in 1802. It has a circular dial with a narrow metal frame and a bezel for the glass, which is usually dome-shaped. The top bears a finial. Below, a narrow trunk, slightly wider at the bottom than the top, protects the weight, and at the bottom a wider compartment contains the lower part of the pendulum. Slender, concave metal ornaments connect the three main parts of the clock.
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