clapper
/'klæpə/
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).
Noun
-
metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side
-
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
-
someone who applauds
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