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Clanker
Definitions
- 1 Something that makes a clanking noise.
"Hurt him, hang him, Scrape-trencher, Stare-wearer, Wine-ſpiller, Mettle-clanker, Rogue by generation : Why dost heare Will?"
- 2 something that makes a clanking noise. wordnet
- 3 A robot or artificial intelligence. Internet, derogatory, humorous
"I got laid off 'cause they got them goddamn clankers taking our jobs."
- 4 A person who uses automated technology or generative AI. Internet, broadly
"Education is getting overtaken by clankers."
- 5 A fib. slang
"Stop telling clankers!"
Etymology
From clank + -er, onomatopoeic. The sense meaning "robot" appears in science fiction at least as early as 1958. Its broader popular use increased on social media beginning around 2024, due to the AI boom. In this wave of usage, it was especially influenced by the word's appearance in the Star Wars franchise, particularly the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando. In Star Wars, the term was used towards B1-series battle droids, which were humanoid robots that were cheaply mass-produced for the sole purpose of fighting in armed conflicts. Their nickname of "clanker" stems from the fact that they would frequently make clanking noises any time they moved around due to being cheaply mass-produced.
See also for "clanker"
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Unscramble this word: clanker