Clap Is What the Sound Sounds Like
To clap is to strike the hands together. The word imitates the noise and has done so for a thousand years.
To clap is to strike the palms together, usually in applause. The word is imitative and Old English, and the same root gives a *clap of thunder* — the sudden sharp noise, not the rumble that follows. Applause by clapping is not universal: audiences elsewhere have snapped fingers, stamped, or in the Roman theatre waved the corner of a toga. The Romans had graded terms for different intensities of applause.
- To strike the hands. *The audience clapped.*
- A sharp noise. *A clap of thunder.*
- To pat. *A clap on the back.*
- Clap eyes on — catch sight of. *I clapped eyes on him.*
- Old English — *clappan*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | clap | Clapping. |
| Noun | clap | A clap. |
| Past | clapped | Clapped. |
| Related | applaud | To applaud. |
| Old English | clappan | To beat. |
- The crowd clapped for a full minute.Applause.
- A clap of thunder woke them.Sound.
- The Romans waved togas instead.History.
Ways audiences have approved
- Clapping — the widespread modern default
- Finger snapping — poetry readings and some jazz clubs
- Stamping — traditional in some theatres and stadiums
- Waving a cloth — Roman theatre used the corner of a toga
- Silent applause — raised hands waved, used where sound would intrude
Old English *clappan*, to beat or throb, of imitative origin.
Why is thunder measured in claps?
Because clap names a sudden sharp noise. The clap is the crack, distinct from the rumble that follows it.
Has applause always meant clapping?
No. Roman audiences waved cloth, and finger snapping or stamping serve the same purpose in other settings.