clap — to hit the palms of your hands together, usually several times, to show that you approve of or have enjoyed something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to hit the palms of your hands together, usually several times, to show that you approve of or have enjoyed something
Pronunciation (IPA): /klæp/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks I'm clapping for him every time I try to kill a mosquito.
- She clapped her hands to get the children's attention.
- The thunder clapped overhead as the storm approached.
clap
VERB[/klæp/]
to hit the palms of your hands together, usually several times, to show that you approve of or have enjoyed something
The audience stood up to clap wildly after the pianist's final note.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Middle English 'clappen', which has onomatopoetic origins mimicking the sound of hands striking together. The term evolved from imitative sound-making to denote the action of striking or knocking.
Breakdown
clappen (to strike, knock) — a root verb of imitative origin, where the sound of the word itself represents the physical action of palms colliding.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks I'm clapping for him every time I try to kill a mosquito.”
“She clapped her hands to get the children's attention.”
“The thunder clapped overhead as the storm approached.”
“I clapped so hard at the comedy show that my palms turned red.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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