Clangings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of loud metallic sounds produced when objects strike each other
2. A repeated noise resembling the sound of metal colliding
3. The distinct auditory signal created by hard materials hitting one another in succession

Etymology: "Clangings" is the plural of "clanging," so it is a form of the noun "clanging," which means loud metal ringing. The base word traces back to "clang," an imitative formation: the sound of heavy metal striking metal is spelled out in the word itself, and "clang" entered English as a noun and verb to name that noise. Adding the "-ing" ending turns the sound into a thing you can hear as a repeated event, which is why the plural makes sense here, with each separate peal of metal counted as one of the clangings.

Synonyms: clangs, rings, clattering