clapper

/'klæpə/

Thân thiện

A child rings the bell by pulling the clapper.

Definition

Noun: 1. A metal striker inside a bell: A piece of metal, often shaped like a tongue or ball, that is suspended inside a bell and swings to strike the bell's side, producing the ringing sound. 2. The tongue: (Informal or humorous) The movable muscular organ in the mouth. 3. An applauder: (Archaic or informal) A person who claps their hands, especially one hired to applaud in a theater.

Usage and Examples

• As the striker of a bell:
  • The bell's clapper was broken, so it could not ring.
  • He removed the clapper to silence the bell.
• As the tongue (informal):
  • "Hold your clapper!" he said, telling the talkative child to be quiet.
• As an applauder (archaic):
  • In the 19th century, some theaters employed clappers to encourage audience reaction.

Advanced Usage

• "Like the clappers" (British English idiom): Very fast or very hard.
  • He ran like the clappers to catch the bus.

Variants and Related Words

• Clap (verb): To strike the palms of the hands together.
• Clapping (noun): The sound or action of applauding.

Synonyms

• For the bell part: tongue, striker.
• For the tongue (informal): tongue.
• For an applauder: applauder.

Idioms and Phrases

• Bell, book, and candle: A phrase from a historical form of excommunication; the "bell" refers to the tolling of a bell, often done by its clapper.
• To sound one's own bell: To boast about oneself (metaphorically related to activating the clapper).

Học thuật

Noun

1. metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side
2. a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
3. someone who applauds

Từ đồng nghĩa

• tongue
• lingua
• glossa
• applauder