Have you ever been confused by the terms grandfather clocks and floor clocks? Have you ever even heard of the term floor clock? Thought of a grandmother clock as a floor clock? well, they really are all different forms of and names for grandfather clocks clocks.
The single biggest distinction between grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks is their height. We tend to say any grandfather clock below 80 inches or so could be considered a grandmother clock. They may, or may not, look more demure or petite as well. It’s worth noting that experts in clocks will have differences of opinions on this subject. Get ten clocks experts in a room to discuss this, and you may well get a dozen different opinions.
What about Floor Clocks and Grandfather Clocks? Those two terms are used essentially synonymously, with the term Floor Clock in particular being used by clock companies such as Howard Miller Clocks and Hermle Clocks. The terms Hall Clocks, not to mention Tall case clocks and longcase clocks are also used frequently.