Clap

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /klæp/

Definitions

1. To bring the hands together forcefully to create a sharp sound ; a sudden sharp noise similar to the sound made by striking the hands ; to show praise or approval by repeatedly bringing the hands together
2. To produce a noise by hitting one hand against the other ; a brief loud sound comparable to a quick hand strike ; the act of applauding by making clapping sounds with the hands
3. To cause the palms to hit each other loudly as a form of noise or expression ; an abrupt sound like a hand clap in intensity and tone ; to demonstrate approval or enjoyment through the action of clapping

Etymology: Old English had "clæppan" for striking the hands together, and it is a shared inheritance: Dutch "klappen", Icelandic "klappa" and Danish "klappe" all come from the same Proto-Germanic root. The sound itself is the point. The word's imitative quality is easy to hear, and the Middle English "clappen" carried it forward largely unchanged. The more surprising story belongs to a different sense of the same spelling. Its origin is uncertain, but it is probably linked to the Old French "clapoir", meaning a swelling or bubo from infection, and that in turn may connect to "clapier", a brothel. Attestations from the 16th century connect the slang term to gonorrhea, and one proposed explanation is an old and unsafe remedy: clapping the penis between a book and a hard surface to break up urethral obstructions. That account is uncertain, so the link between the two senses is best treated as a possibility, not a settled fact.

Synonyms: applaud, slap, strike

Antonyms: boo, hiss