What does "clapper" mean?
One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.
Clapper
/ˈklæpɚ/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.
- Grammar: clapper is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: applauder, bell, bell striker, boiler factory.
- Useful contrasts: booer, critic, silent bell.
- Usage evidence: "Sir, sir! folks' tongues go like the clappers in the fields to drive away the blackbirds. A very little wind makes 'em rattle wonderfully."
How to use "clapper"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "clapper" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "clapper" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "clapper" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "clapper" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "clapper" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "applauder" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "clapper", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.
- 2 A rabbit burrow. obsolete
"Poore cunnie so bagged, Is soone overlagged Plash burrow, set clapper, For dog is a snapper"
- 3 metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side wordnet
- 4 An object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clanger or tongue.
- 5 a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity wordnet
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A wooden mechanical device used as a scarecrow; bird-scaring rattle, a wind-rattle or a wind-clapper.
""Sir, sir! folks' tongues go like the clappers in the fields to drive away the blackbirds. A very little wind makes 'em rattle wonderfully.""
- 7 someone who applauds wordnet
- 8 A clapstick (musical instrument).
- 9 A pounding block.
- 10 The chattering damsel of a mill.
- 11 A slapshot
- 12 The hinged part of a clapperboard, used to synchronise images and soundtrack, or the clapperboard itself.
- 13 A person's tongue. slang
"Emilia 'tis true could use her clapper with great Dexterity, but he had the same advantages against her, which this had against him; Olimpia 's Tongue was also well hung but she ever had reason on her side, which he with reason could never either blame or oppose, and by both these came his Fortune: […]"
Verb
- 1 To ring a bell by pulling a rope attached to the clapper. transitive
"It is still necessary to warn clergymen against allowing the lazy and pernicious practice of 'clappering,' i.e. tying the bell-rope to the clapper, and pulling it instead of the bell."
- 2 To make a repetitive clapping sound; to clatter.
- 3 Of birds, to repeatedly strike the mandibles together.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""Sir, sir! folks' tongues go like the clappers in the fields to drive away the blackbirds. A very little wind makes 'em rattle wonderfully.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "clapper"?
Common synonyms include: applauder, bell, bell striker, boiler factory, boiler room, bull-roarer.
How do you use "clapper" in a sentence?
"Sir, sir! folks' tongues go like the clappers in the fields to drive away the blackbirds. A very little wind makes 'em rattle wonderfully."
How do you pronounce "clapper"?
Pronounced /ˈklæpɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From clap + -er.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French clapier.