Clicker

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈklɪkə/

Definitions

1. A device designed to produce a clicking noise when pressed or squeezed, often used for training animals ; a handheld tool that controls televisions or other electronic devices remotely by sending signals
2. An instrument that emits a sharp clicking sound typically by manual operation, useful in training or counting ; a portable remote that operates TVs, DVD players, or similar equipment without physical contact
3. A small gadget that makes a clicking sound for signaling or training purposes ; a wireless control unit used to change channels, adjust volume, or operate digital media devices

Etymology: The "-er" in "clicker" is one of English's oldest working suffixes. It arrived through a long chain: a Proto-Indo-European agent-marker passed into Latin as "-arius", which became "-ier" in Old French, then reached English as "-er", and in Old English "-ere" was already attached to words for makers and doers. Nothing in the chain carries a specific meaning of its own beyond "one who does this." The base word "click" is the more recent part, and it is imitative: the sound it names is the sharp, short noise of a latch or tongue. Combining a sound-word with "-er" produced a name for whatever makes that sound. Its clearest modern use is the handheld device that sends signals to a television or other gadget, though the training tool that produces a click for animals is the original sense the definition above lists first.

Synonyms: remote, controller, button, switch, device