clocks

n. Processor logic cycles, so called because each generally corresponds to
one clock pulse in the processor's timing. The relative execution times of
instructions on a machine are usually discussed in clocks rather than
absolute fractions of a second; one good reason for this is that clock
speeds for various models of the machine may increase as technology
improves, and it is usually the relative times one is interested in when
discussing the instruction set. Compare cycle , jiffy.

