clap
/klæp/ noun, verb
Forms claps clapping clapped clapt
- noun The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together. “He summoned the waiter with a clap.”
- noun The explosive sound of thunder.
- noun Any loud, sudden, explosive sound made by striking hard surfaces together, or resembling such a sound. “Off in the distance, he heard the clap of thunder.”
- noun A slap with the hand, usually in a jovial manner. “His father's affection never went further than a handshake or a clap on the shoulder.”
- noun A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow.
- noun (falconry) The nether part of the beak of a hawk.
- noun (Yorkshire) A dropping of cow dung (presumably from the sound made as it hits the ground)
- verb (intransitive) To strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound. “The children began to clap in time with the music.”
- verb (transitive) To applaud. “The audience loudly clapped the actress, who responded with a deep curtsey.”
- verb (transitive) To slap with the hand in a jovial manner. “He would often clap his teammates on the back for encouragement.”
- verb (ambitransitive) To bring two surfaces together forcefully, creating a sharp sound. “He clapped the empty glass down on the table.”
- verb (obsolete) To slam (a door or window); formerly often construed with to.
- verb (transitive) To create or assemble (something) hastily (usually followed by up or together). “We should clap together a shelter before nightfall.”
- verb (transitive) To set or put, usually in haste. “The sheriff clapped him in jail.”
- verb (slang, African-American Vernacular) To shoot (somebody) with a gun.
- noun (slang, usually with "the") Synonym of gonorrhea.
Synonyms
thunderclap applaud beclap acclaim hurrah acclamate hail barrack cheer cheer on encheer hurray huzzah gonorrhea bang eruption blast bam gonorrhoea clack spat
Etymology
From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, *clappian, from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, *klappōn, from Proto-Germanic *klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe.
Uncertain. Probably from Old French clapoir (“bubo, inflammation from infection”), from clapier (“brothel”).
May also be from old, unsafe treatments for gonorrhea, such as clapping the penis between a book and a hard surface to break up obstructions in the urethra and permit urination. Attested from the 16th century.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To strike; to slap; to strike, or strike together, with a quick motion, so, as to make a sharp noise; as, to clap one's hands; a clapping of wings.
- verb To thrust, drive, put, or close, in a hasty or abrupt manner; --often followed by to, into, on, or upon.
- verb To knock, as at a door. [Obs.] Chaucer.
- verb To strike the hands together in applause.
Etymology [AS. clappan; akin to Icel. & Sw. klappa, D, klappen, to clap, prate, G. klaffen, v.i., to split open, yelp, klopfen, v.t. & i., to knock.]
Etymology [Cf. OF. clapoir.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “clap”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details