Adjacent Words

Clap definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CLAP, v.t.
1. To strike with a quick motion, so as to make a noise by the collision; to strike with something broad, or having a flat surface; as, to clap the hands; to clap the wings.
2. To thrust or drive together; to shut hastily; followed by to; as, to clap to the door or gate.
3. To thrust or drive together; to put one thing to another by a hasty or sudden motion; followed by to, on or in; as, to clap the hand to the mouth; to clap spurs to a horse; to clap on a saddle.
4. To thrust; to put, place or send; followed by in, into, under, over, etc.; as, to clap one under the hatches; to clap one into Bedlam; to clap a board over a pit.
5. To applaud; to manifest approbation or praise by striking the hands together; as, to clap a performance on the stage.
6. To infect with venereal poison.
To clap up, to make or complete hastily; as, to clap up a peace.
To imprison hastily, or with little delay.
CLAP, v.i.
1. To move or drive together suddenly with noise.
The doors around me clapt.
2. To enter on with alacrity and briskness; to drive or thrust on; as we say to reapers or mowers, clap in, or clap to, that is, enter on the work, begin without delay, begin briskly.
3. To strike the hands together in applause.
Bid them clap.
CLAP, n.
1. A driving together; a thrust and collision of bodies with noise, usually bodies with broad surfaces.
Give the door a clap.
2. A sudden act or motion; a thrust.
Pay all debts at one clap.
3. A burst of sound; a sudden explosion; as a clap of thunder.
4. An act of applause; a striking of hands to express approbation.
5. A venereal infection.
6. With falconers, the nether part of the beak of a hawk.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a sudden very loud noise [syn: bang, clap, eruption, blast, bam]
2: a common venereal disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae; symptoms are painful urination and pain around the urethra [syn: gonorrhea, gonorrhoea, clap]
3: a sharp abrupt noise as if two objects hit together; may be repeated [syn: clack, clap] v
1: put quickly or forcibly; "The judge clapped him in jail"
2: cause to strike the air in flight; "The big bird clapped its wings"
3: clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval [syn: applaud, clap, spat, acclaim] [ant: boo, hiss]
4: clap one's hands together; "The children were clapping to the music" [syn: clap, spat]
5: strike the air in flight; "the wings of the birds clapped loudly"
6: strike with the flat of the hand; usually in a friendly way, as in encouragement or greeting
7: strike together so as to produce a sharp percussive noise; "clap two boards together"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (clapped; also clapt; clapping) Etymology: Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan to throb; akin to Old High German klaph?n to beat Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to strike (as two flat hard surfaces) together so as to produce a sharp percussive noise 2. a. to strike (the hands) together repeatedly usually in applause b. applaud 3. to strike with the flat of the hand in a friendly way <clapped his friend on the shoulder> 4. to place, put, or set especially energetically <clap him into jail> <since I first clapped eyes on it> 5. to improvise or build hastily <a hut clapped together from old plywood> intransitive verb 1. to produce a percussive sound; especially slam 2. to go abruptly or briskly 3. applaud II. noun Date: 13th century 1. a device that makes a clapping noise 2. obsolete a sudden stroke of fortune and especially ill fortune 3. a loud percussive noise; specifically a sudden crash of thunder 4. a. a sudden blow b. a friendly slap <a clap on the back> 5. the sound of clapping hands; especially applause III. noun Etymology: Middle French clapoir bubo Date: 1587 gonorrhea — often used with the

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. (clapped, clapping) 1 a intr. strike the palms of one's hands together as a signal or repeatedly as applause. b tr. strike (the hands) together in this way. 2 tr. applaud or show one's approval of (esp. a person) in this way. 3 tr. (of a bird) flap (its wings) audibly. 4 tr. put or place quickly or with determination (clapped him in prison; clap a tax on whisky). --n. 1 the act of clapping, esp. as applause. 2 an explosive sound, esp. of thunder. 3 a slap, a pat. Phrases and idioms: clap eyes on colloq. see. clap on the back = slap on the back. clapped out Brit. sl. worn out (esp. of machinery etc.); exhausted. Etymology: OE clappian throb, beat, of imit. orig. 2. n. coarse sl. venereal disease, esp. gonorrhoea. Etymology: OF clapoir venereal bubo

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Clap Clap, v. i. 1. To knock, as at a door. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. To strike the hands together in applause. Their ladies bid them clap. --Shak. 3. To come together suddenly with noise. The doors around me clapped. --Dryden. 4. To enter with alacrity and briskness; -- with to or into. [Obs.] ``Shall we clap into it roundly, without . . . saying we are hoarse?'' --Shak. 5. To talk noisily; to chatter loudly. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Clap Clap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clapped; p. pr. & vb. n. Clapping.] [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.] 1. 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. Then like a bird it sits and sings, And whets and claps its silver wings. --Marvell. 2. To thrust, drive, put, or close, in a hasty or abrupt manner; -- often followed by to, into, on, or upon. He had just time to get in and clap to the door. --Locke Clap an extinguaisher upon your irony. --Lamb. 3. To manifest approbation of, by striking the hands together; to applaud; as, to clap a performance. To clap hands. (a) To pledge faith by joining hands. [Obs.] --Shak. (b) To express contempt or derision. [Obs.] --Lam. ii. 15. To clap hold of, to seize roughly or quickly. To clap up. (a) To imprison hastily or without due formality. (b) To make or contrive hastily. [Obs.] ``Was ever match clapped up so suddenly?'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Clap Clap (kl[a^]p), n. 1. A loud noise made by sudden collision; a bang. ``Give the door such a clap, as you go out, as will shake the whole room.'' --Swift. 2. A burst of sound; a sudden explosion. Horrible claps of thunder. --Hakewill. 3. A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow. What, fifty of my followers at a clap! --Shak. 4. A striking of hands to express approbation. Unextrected claps or hisses. --Addison. 5. Noisy talk; chatter. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 6. (Falconry) The nether part of the beak of a hawk. Clap dish. See Clack dish, under Clack, n. Clap net, a net for taking birds, made to close or clap together.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Clap Clap, n. [Cf. OF. clapoir.] Gonorrhea.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(claps, clapping, clapped) 1. When you clap, you hit your hands together to show appreciation or attract attention. The men danced and the women clapped... Midge clapped her hands, calling them back to order... Londoners came out on to the pavement to wave and clap the marchers. VERB: V, V n, V n • Clap is also a noun. Let's give the children a big clap. N-SING: a N 2. If you clap your hand or an object onto something, you put it there quickly and firmly. I clapped a hand over her mouth. VERB: V n prep 3. A clap of thunder is a sudden and loud noise of thunder. N-COUNT: N of n 4. to clap eyes on someone: see eye

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

An emphatic expression of joy, "They clapped their hands (nakhah), and said, Long live (the King James Version "God save") the king" (2Ki 11:12); "Oh clap your hands (taqa`), all ye peoples" (Ps 47:1); or exultation (caphaq, La 2:15; macha', Eze 25:6; taqa`, Na 3:19); or repudiation (caphaq, Job 27:23; 34:37).

Figurative: To denote Nature's "sympathy" with God's people. "Let the floods clap (macha') their hands" (Ps 98:8); "All the trees of the field shall clap their hands" (Isa 55:12; compare Jud 5:20).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Pat, strike gently, slap. 2. Thrust, force, slam. 3. Put hastily, put hurriedly slap. 4. Applaud (by striking the hands together), Cheer. II. n. 1. Blow, knock, slap. 2. Explosion, burst, peal, slam, bang. 3. Gonorrhoea, venereal disease.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A venereal taint. He went out by Had'em, and came round by Clapham home; i.e. he went out a wenching, and got a clap.

Moby Thesaurus

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