Etymology From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, *clappian, from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, *klappōn, from Proto-Germanic *klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe.
The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.
He summoned the waiter with a clap.
2
The explosive sound of thunder.
The deafening claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of lightning which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the artillery of heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the already gruesome spectacle.1922 February, James Joyce, “[[Episode 12: The Cyclops]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:
With each clap of thunder echoing from one high building to another the noise was terrific.1953 July, Allen Rowley, “First Impressions of American Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 493:
3
Any loud, sudden, explosive sound made by striking hard surfaces together, or resembling such a sound.
Off in the distance, he heard the clap of thunder.
Give the door such a clap, as you go out, as will shake the whole room.1731 (date written; published 1745), [Jonathan] Swift, Directions to Servants […], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley, […], and M. Cooper, […], →OCLC:
4
A slap with the hand, usually in a jovial manner.
His father's affection never went further than a handshake or a clap on the shoulder.
5
A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow.
What, fifty of my followers at a clap!c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
But it took him a long time to get down-stairs, and a still longer to undo the fastenings, repenting (I dare say) and taken with fresh claps of fear at every second step and every bolt and bar.1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:
6
Falconry, Hobbies, Hunting, Lifestyle The nether part of the beak of a hawk.
7
Yorkshire A dropping of cow dung (presumably from the sound made as it hits the ground)
“Oh! get some coo clap (cow dung), mix it wi’ fish oil (whale oil), put it on, and let it stop on all neet.”1890, John Nicholson, Folk Lore of East Yorkshire, page 139:
Etymology From Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan, *clappian, from Proto-West Germanic *klappijan, *klappōn, from Proto-Germanic *klappōną (“to clap”). Cognate with Dutch klappen, Icelandic klappa, Faroese klappa and Danish klappe.
To strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound.
The children began to clap in time with the music.
To hear a flutter echo, all one needs is a pair of parallel surfaces (and they need not be very large), stand between them, and clap hands. Nowhere else in the vast garden were there any flutters.2008, Floyd E. Toole, Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms, Elsevier:
2
To applaud.
The audience loudly clapped the actress, who responded with a deep curtsey.
It isn’t the singers they are clapping; it's the composer.
1 more example
“George is all very well on platforms,” said Bundle. “I’ve clapped him myself, though of course I know all the time that he’s talking balderdash.[…]”1925, Agatha Christie, The Secret of Chimneys:
3
To slap with the hand in a jovial manner.
He would often clap his teammates on the back for encouragement.
4
Ambitransitive To bring two surfaces together forcefully, creating a sharp sound.
He clapped the empty glass down on the table.
She clapped the book shut.
3 more examples
He clapped across the floor in his boots.
Then like a bird it sits and sings, / Then whets and claps its silver wings.1681, Andrew Marvell, The Garden:
[…] Pipes, who acted as the enemy's forlorn hope, advanced to the gate with great intrepidity, and clapping his foot to the door, which was none of the ſtouteſt, with the execution and diſpatch of a petard, ſplit it into a thouſand pieces.1751, [Tobias] Smollett, “He is Concerned in a Dangerous Adventure with a Certain Gardener; […]”, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume I, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC, page 134:
5
Obsolete To slam (a door or window); formerly often construed with to.
Hostesse clap to the doores.c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:
The doors around me clapped.1677 (first performance), John Dryden, All for Love: Or, The World Well Lost. A Tragedy, […], [London]: […] Tho[mas] Newcomb, for Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
1 more example
Her fear gave her strength; she threw Laura away, and clapped to the door.1792, Thomas Holcroft, Anna St. Ives, vol. VII, letter 119:
6
To create or assemble (something) hastily (usually followed by up or together).
We should clap together a shelter before nightfall.
The rival factions clapped up a truce.
7
To set or put, usually in haste.
The sheriff clapped him in jail.
She was the prettiest thing I'd ever clapped eyes on.
2 more examples
He had just time to get in and clap to the door.1693, [John Locke], “§138”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
Clap an extinguisher upon your irony.1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC:
Etymology Uncertain. Probably from Old French clapoir (“bubo, inflammation from infection”), from clapier (“brothel”). May also be from old, unsafe treatments for gonorrhea, such as clapping the penis between a book and a hard surface to break up obstructions in the urethra and permit urination. Attested from the 16th century.
With the mischiefe of the melt and maw, / The clape and the canker,—1821 [1580 July 23], Alexander Montgomerie, “The Flyting”, in The Poems of Alexander Montgomery, page 115:
I stepped out of my tent in Marrakech one night to get a bar of candy and caught your dose of clap when that Wac I never even saw before hissed me into the bushes.1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 172:
4 more examples
“What in hell makes you think he's got the clap?” Hawkeye asked. “Even a clap doctor can't diagnose it through a parka1972, Richard Hooker, MASH, page 32:
He thought I had given him the clap [gonorrhea], but I knew I didn't.1980, Ruth Bell, Changing Bodies, Changing Lives, page 295:
One result of the sexual revolution was the spread of venereal disease to near-epidemic proportions. The clap was, as one writer put it, “one of the hangups of the new morality.”1991, Timothy Miller, The hippies and American values, University of Tennessee Press, →ISBN, page 63:
When I explained that I thought he had given me the clap, he said I must be mistaken, it had to be someone I'd “tricked” with at ... He'd never had an STD in his life, he told me, and slammed down the phone.1998, Dan Savage, Savage Love, page 229: