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clishmaclaver

[ klish-muh-kley-ver, kleesh- ]
/ ˌklɪʃ məˈkleɪ vər, ˌkliʃ- /

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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for clishmaclaver

  • Julia's lovely eyes dilated at this clishmaclaver, and she bowed coldly.

    Hard Cash|Charles Reade

  • 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

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