clack

1 of 2

verb

ˈklak 

clacked; clacking; clacks

intransitive verb

1

: chatter, prattle

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

Synonyms

Verb

• clatter
• rattle

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

Her instincts as a producer reject unnecessary polish, and snatch up the clacking, booming, rustling din of existence. —Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024

Many of these devices are equipped with noise-cancelling technology that muffles the ambient sound of the world—honking cars, yelling children, clacking keyboards—by emitting vibrations of the opposite frequency. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024

Noun

In the late nineteenth century, older notes—the call to prayer issuing from mosques, the slap of sandals on pavements, the clack of dominoes and backgammon tiles on café tables, the yelling of peddlers hawking their wares—began to jostle with the noises of mechanical and electrified devices. —Ziad Fahmy, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021

In addition, the hot-swappable ROG NX key switches return, here in a variant called ROG NX Snow, delivering a satisfying clack on par with a recent Editors' Choice keyboard pick, the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96. —PCMAG, 4 June 2024

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

Kids Definition

clack

verb

ˈklak

: to make or cause to make a clattering or clicking sound

clack noun

clacker noun