clapper
Americannoun
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a person who applauds.
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the tongue of a bell.
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Slang. the tongue.
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Usually clappers. two flat sticks held between the fingers and struck rhythmically against each other to produce abrupt, sharp sounds.
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Printing. a platen press.
noun
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a person or thing that claps
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a contrivance for producing a sound of clapping, as for scaring birds
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Also called: tongue. a small piece of metal suspended within a bell that causes it to sound when made to strike against its side
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a slang word for tongue
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informal to move extremely fast
Etymology
Origin of clapper
First recorded in 1250–1300, clapper is from the Middle English word claper. See clap 1, -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several men held clapper sticks made of elderberry wood and began tapping a rhythm.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2023
A clapper rail darts for cover in a patch of coastal red mangroves.
From BBC • Sep. 15, 2021
He measured mileage by attaching a rod inside a wagon wheel — based on the circumference of the wheel, a clapper would sound at each mile and that’s where a marker would go.
From Washington Post • Aug. 22, 2020
Julia: The clapper, most ingeniously used to turn on and off a Christmas tree.
From Slate • Dec. 18, 2019
Were we going to steal the clapper of the school bell, or would we tether a cow in chapel?
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
