What does "clap" mean?

1. (to applaud) to hit your open hands together several times to show you liked a performance or agree with someone. 2. (to hit surfaces together) to bring two things together quickly and loudly, like hands or books. 3. (sound of thunder) a single, sudden, and very loud noise of thunder. 4. (gonorrhea) a common illness passed through sex. 5. (to put or set quickly) to put someone or something somewhere very quickly or suddenly.

How do you use "clap"?

Always used with the definite article 'the'. Often used with 'in' or 'into', especially regarding prison or chains.

clap

v. · n.

US //ˈkɫæp// UK //klˈæp// clap

1 to applaud (v.)
A2 Elementary

to hit your open hands together several times to show you liked a performance or agree with someone.

to strike the palms of the hands together repeatedly as a gesture of applause or approval.

Example

The audience started to clap as soon as the singer finished the last note.

Example

The crowd began to clap rhythmically, demanding an encore after the orchestra delivered a flawless rendition of the symphony.
- applaud
- cheer
- boo
- jeer
2 to hit surfaces together (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to bring two things together quickly and loudly, like hands or books.

to bring two surfaces together forcefully to produce a sharp, percussive sound.

Example

He clapped his hands to get the children's attention in the noisy playground.

Example

She clapped the heavy ledger shut, sending a small cloud of dust into the air of the dimly lit archive.
- bang
- slap

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3 sound of thunder (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a single, sudden, and very loud noise of thunder.

a sudden, explosive auditory discharge of thunder.

Example

A sudden clap of thunder made everyone jump during the picnic.

Example

The silence of the valley was shattered by a deafening clap of thunder that echoed off the surrounding granite cliffs.
- peal
- crack
- boom
4 gonorrhea (n.)
C1 Advanced Slang Informal Medicine

a common illness passed through sex.

a colloquial and historically derogatory term for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea.

Example

He had to go to the clinic because he thought he caught the clap.

Example

Public health posters from the mid-twentieth century often used blunt language regarding the clap to warn soldiers about the risks of untreated infections.

Usage

Always used with the definite article 'the'.

Teacher's tip

This is a very informal and potentially insensitive term; students should use the medical name in professional or serious contexts.
- gonorrhea
5 to put or set quickly (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary Formal

to put someone or something somewhere very quickly or suddenly.

to place, set, or imprison someone or something with suddenness or force.

Example

The guards were ordered to clap the prisoner in irons.

Example

The authorities decided to clap the protesters into custody before the demonstration could escalate into a full-scale riot.

Usage

Often used with 'in' or 'into', especially regarding prison or chains.

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Word family

Verbclap
Nounclapping

Idioms2 entries