Other forms: clepsydras; clepsydrae
Drip, drip, drip. This used to be the sound of a clepsydra — a special water clock used by ancient civilizations.
The clepsydra was an early and innovative way to keep track of time. It combines the Greek roots klept-, meaning "steal," and hydr-, meaning "water." The clepsydra worked by measuring time through the steady flow of water from one container to another — as if one container was gradually stealing water from the other. The clepsydra was used by the Greeks, Egyptians, and other ancient civilizations to time speeches, monitor cooking, and even keep time during court sessions.