clack

[ klak ]

/ klæk /

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See synonyms for: clack / clacking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to make a quick, sharp sound, or a succession of such sounds, as by striking or cracking: The loom clacked busily under her expert hands.

to talk rapidly and continually or with sharpness and abruptness; chatter.

to cluck or cackle.

verb (used with object)

to utter by clacking.

to cause to clack: He clacked the cup against the saucer.

noun

a clacking sound.

something that clacks, as a rattle.

rapid, continual talk; chatter.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of clack

1200–50; Middle English clacken; imitative

Words nearby clack

CLA, clabber, clabber cheese, clabby-doo, clachan, clack, clacker, clackers, Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire, clack valve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use clack in a sentence

Mechanical keyboards could be distracting in an open-plan office, in general, but the clack of the keys is no more distracting than ringing phones, co-worker chatter, and other everyday sounds of working in public.
Logitech Pop Keys Wireless Mechanical Keyboard review: Style and substance|Mike Epstein|November 9, 2021|Popular-Science
Tactile switches, which feature a strong tactile bump without the tinny clack of “clicky”-style switches, require a bit more force to push them down, which may rankle a pro esports player but provides a better overall typing feel.
Logitech Pop Keys Wireless Mechanical Keyboard review: Style and substance|Mike Epstein|November 9, 2021|Popular-Science
In a press briefing, Razer also emphasized that the Huntsman V2 features a layer of sound-dampening foam inside, which takes the edge off of the keys’ mechanical clack.
Razer Huntsman V2 Gaming Keyboard Review|Mike Epstein|September 27, 2021|Popular-Science
Later that day, I crouched down, popped upward, felt the board rise to my feet, and landed on all four wheels with a satisfying clack.
I’m an Adult Learning to Skateboard. Let Me Explain.|jversteegh|July 29, 2021|Outside Online

I need to get a head shot so he won't have a chance to clack himself off [blow himself up].
Meet the Man Who Killed Bin Laden|David Frum|February 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A look at some of the craziest, funniest, and most bizarre moments with Click and Clack.
‘Car Talk’ Hosts to Retire: Best Moments With NPR’s Laughing Mechanics|Caitlin Dickson|June 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“A Kinder, Gentler IRS” Click and Clack were all over the place in the April 11, 1998, episode of Car Talk.
‘Car Talk’ Hosts to Retire: Best Moments With NPR’s Laughing Mechanics|Caitlin Dickson|June 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Cunningham's description of the drawings of the natives in a cavern on Clack's Island.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
This rock has some resemblance to that of Clack Island above-mentioned.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
He listened, but I do not know whether he heard much of my clack, and I got very tired of it myself at last.
Questionable Shapes|William Dean Howells
Up them she went, flattening herself against the stone as she caught the faint clack of muffled oars.
The Devil in Iron|Robert E. Howard
She answered with the same clutter and clack of unknown syllables, growing more and more excited as the dialogue continued.
The Shadow|Arthur Stringer

British Dictionary definitions for clack

clack

/ (klæk) /

verb

to make or cause to make a sound like that of two pieces of wood hitting each other

(intr) to jabber

a less common word for cluck

noun

a short sharp sound

a person or thing that produces this sound

chatter

Also called: clack valve a simple nonreturn valve using either a hinged flap or a ball

Word Origin for clack

C13: probably from Old Norse klaka to twitter, of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

clack

Origin of clack

Words nearby clack

Words related to clack

How to use clack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clack

Word Origin for clack