Claques

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of people hired to applaud or cheer during a performance or event
2. Individuals paid to show enthusiasm or support for an artist or speaker
3. A gathering of followers or supporters who act to influence an audience's reaction

Etymology: "Claques" is the plural of "claque," a word that came into English from French, where it means a clap or a slap, from the verb "claquer," to clap. The sense of hired applauders arose in nineteenth-century Parisian theatres, where managers paid groups of people to clap on cue, and those groups were called "claques." Their leader was a "chef de claque."

Synonyms: followers, admirers, supporters

Antonyms: critics, opponents