clishmaclaver

[ klish-muh-kley-ver, kleesh- ]

/ ˌklɪʃ məˈkleɪ vər, ˌkliʃ- /

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noun Scot.

gossip; idle or foolish talk.

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Origin of clishmaclaver

1720–30; clish(-clash) gossip (gradational compound based on clash) + -ma- (< ?) + claver

Words nearby clishmaclaver

clip someone's wings, clipt, clique, cliquey, cliquish, clishmaclaver, clisis, Clisthenes, clistocarpous, clistothecium, clit

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

How to use clishmaclaver in a sentence

Now, don't put any of your squinting constructions on this, or have any clishmaclaver about it among our acquaintances.
Robert Burns|William Allan Neilson
Julia's lovely eyes dilated at this clishmaclaver, and she bowed coldly.
Hard Cash|Charles Reade

British Dictionary definitions for clishmaclaver

clishmaclaver

/ (ˌklɪʃməˈkleɪvə) /

noun

Scot idle talk; gossip

Word Origin for clishmaclaver

C16: from clish-clash, reduplication of clash + claver

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