clack

1 of 2

verb

clacked; clacking; clacks

intransitive verb

1
2
: to make an abrupt striking sound or series of sounds
3
of fowl : cackle, cluck

transitive verb

1
: to cause to make a clatter
2
: to produce with a chattering sound
specifically : blab
clacker noun

clack

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: rapid continuous talk : chatter
b
: tongue
2
archaic : an object (such as a valve) that produces clapping or rattling noises usually in regular rapid sequence
3
: a sound of clacking
the clack of a typewriter

Examples of clack in a Sentence

Verb I heard her heels clacking down the hall. He clacked his teeth together.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The fans chanted and sang, waved towels in the air, and clacked together plastic bats to show their devotion. Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 The buzz itself is the sound of the hats clacking dryly and unmusically against their neighbors. Thomas Palmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Pavilions shade the game tables, where an older crowd of mostly Cuban men and women compete intensely, clacking down domino tiles for hours on end. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Old people back in her Long Island hometown got bridges that sometimes clacked and had to be cleaned in a glass by the bed. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 Dave and Jody Madore walked up Lincoln Street with their 8-year-old daughter, Cadence, her white heels clacking against the asphalt. Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2023 Outside are white-tablecloth four-tops convenient for surveying the expensively heeled clacking down the leafy street. Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2023 Interfacing with a screen involved arms, hands, and fingers all in motion on clacking keyboards and roving mice. WIRED, 19 Sep. 2023 The clacking rattle of steel wheels on steel rails creates a lulling percussive soundtrack. Patricia Harris and David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2023
Noun
Return to parks list —– Maximo Gomez Park Address: 801 SW 15th Ave., Miami Phone: 305-285-1684 Hours: 7:30am – 9pm Admission: free Amenities: tables for dominoes, chess and checkers The hook: The clack of the dominoes, the haze of cigar smoke. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The clack of assault rifles being fired punctured the air. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2024 Instead, it is squeezed next to a gaming parlor that echoes with clacks from a foosball table. Nina Strochlic, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023 Once built, the rounded keys clack and the paper carriage moves. New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Gates, a veteran caterer who received culinary training at St. Philip’s College, knows his menu isn’t the typical bill-of-fare for a place where customers line up for cheap beer specials while the clack of pool balls and shot glasses tapping the bar provide a rhythmic soundtrack in the background. Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 4 May 2021 Depending on the day of the week, the space may clickety-clack to the sound of a lathe winding molybdenum wire around side rods, or the ragged hiss of gas flames heating and sealing glass bulbs. Roy Furchgott, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2023 Tactile switches provide a small bump and subdued clack to confirm registered keystrokes. Stephen Slaybaugh, Popular Mechanics, 14 Feb. 2023 After all, you’re used to the daily rhythms and noises of your animal friend, like the clickety-clack of nails on your wood floor. Lianna Bass, SELF, 7 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of clack was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near clack

Cite this Entry

“Clack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clack. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clack

verb
ˈklak
: to make or cause to make a clattering or clicking sound
clack noun
clacker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on clack

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