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Glite Dictionary
👏 A person applauding 🔔 Bell's metal striker 👅 The tongue
clapper

clapper

9.9
The tongue used to speak
  • noun
  • /ˈklæpər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : lengua
  • During the debate, her clapper raised important points that resonated with everyone in the room.

Examples

  • His passionate speech echoed through the hall, and his agile clapper brought life to his words.

  • Before the broad clapper even struck, the rail split beneath him, and he fell, laughing, onto the shallow roof.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The speaker captivated the audience with his eloquence, using his clapper to articulate profound ideas.

Synonyms

tongue
vsclapper
601 1.0

A soft movable part in the mouth used for tasting, eating, and speaking

focuses on physical mouth functions rather than the archaic symbolic speech sense
glossa
vsclapper
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A part made of muscle in the mouth of animals or humans that helps you taste and speak

is archaic and metaphorical rather than a technical anatomical description
lingua
vsclapper
  • Specialized
9.9

A soft muscle in the mouth that can move and helps you taste and speak

is archaic and metaphorical rather than a neutral or formal name

Compounds

clapper valve
  • Specialized
8.0

A simple device with a hinged flap that lets liquid flow in one direction and stops it flowing back

Surface Forms

clapper singular
clappers plural

Morphology

clapper = clap (opaque) = clap + er

This archaic, metaphorical sense ('tongue' or organ of speech) is a semantic shift not predictable from the basic 'clap' + '-er' formation.

Etymology

Clapper had an old use for the tongue; a helpful way to remember this is to think of clap ('to make a noise') because the tongue makes the sounds of speech, so clapper meant the 'noisy' organ of talking.