clack

1 of 2

verb

clacked; clacking; clacks

intransitive verb

1
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
For coworkers, roommates, family members, or partners, the constant clicking and clacking of a mechanical keyboard can be grating. Henri Robbins, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2024 One door down, in a large relay room, rows and rows of 1930s era electro-mechanical relays clicked and clacked as tower operators set routes and trains moved along the tracks below. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 9 Dec. 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 See all Example Sentences for clack 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of clack was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near clack

Cite this Entry

“Clack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clack. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

clack

verb
ˈklak
: to make or cause to make a clattering or clicking sound
clack noun
clacker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on clack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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