claque
noun
a group of persons hired to applaud an act or performer.
claques
-
pluralof claque.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
In French theatre, groups of professional clappers, known as "claques", were hired by performers to make them appear more popular with audiences.
From BBC ● May 28, 2015
Although claques are still common in Italian opera houses, none in years have been organized with the same flair and genius for detail.
From Time Magazine Archive
And Rusk might well have touchy going with such political headliners as Adlai Stevenson, Chester Bowles and G. Mennen Williams, all of them with vociferous political claques, and better known than Dean Rusk.
From Time Magazine Archive
At a time when claques are disappearing from many of the world's opera houses, the La Scala group is one of the best in the house's long history.
From Time Magazine Archive
The convention was singularly tumultuous and noisy: large claques were hired by both Lincoln's and Seward's managers.
From The Greatest Highway in the World Historical, Industrial and Descriptive Information of the Towns, Cities and Country Passed Through Between New York and Chicago Via the New York Central Lines. Based on the Encyclopaedia Britannica. by New York Central Railroad Company
