Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CLAN'ISH, a.

Closely united, like a clan; disposed to adhere closely, as the members of a clan.

CLAN'ISH-LY, adv.

In a clanish manner.

CLAN'ISH-NESS, n.

Close adherence or disposition to unite, as a clan.

CLANK, n. [See Clang.]

The loud, shrill, sharp sound made by a collision of metallic or other sonorous bodies. – Spectator.

CLANK, v.t.

To make a sharp, shrill sound; to strike with a sharp sound; as, the prisoners clank their chains.

CLAN'SHIP, n.

A state of union, as in a family, or clan; an association under a chieftain. – Robertson. Encyc.

CLAP, n.

1. A driving together; a thrust and collision of bodies with noise, usually bodies with broad surfaces. Give the door a clap. – Swift.
2. A sudden act or motion; a thrust. Pay all debts at one clap. – Swift.
3. A burst of sound; a sudden explosion; as, a clap of thunder.
4. An act of applause; a striking of hands to express approbation. – Addison.
5. A veneral infection. [Fr. clapoir; D. klapoor.] – Pope.
6. With falconers, the nether part of the beak of a hawk. – Bailey.

CLAP, v.i.

1. To move or drive together suddenly with noise. The doors around me clapt. – Dryden.
2. To enter on with alacrity and briskness; to drive or thrust on; as we say to reapers or mowers, clap in, or clap to, that is, enter on the work, begin without delay, begin briskly.
3. To strike the hands together in applause. Bid them clap. – Shak.

CLAP, v.t. [pret. and pp. clapped or clapt. D. klappen, kloppen; Dan. klapper; Sw. klappa; G. klappen or klaffen; Russ. kleplyu. The Dutch and German words signify to clap or strike, and to talk, clatter, prate. Sax. cleopian or clypian, to call, to speak, whence ycleped (obs.), W. clepian, to clack, to babble, from llep, a lapping, llepiaw, to lap, to lick. The sense is to send, drive or strike, L. alapa, a slap.]

1. To strike with a quick motion, so as to make a noise by the collision; to strike with something broad, or having a flat surface; as, to clap the hands; to clap the wings. – Locke. Dryden.
2. To thrust; to drive together; to shut hastily; followed by to; as, to clap to the door or gate. – Locke. Shak.
3. To thrust or drive together; to put one thing to another by a hasty or sudden motion; followed by to, on or in; as, to clap the hand to the mouth; to clap spurs to a horse; to clap on a saddle. – Watts. Addison. Dryden.
4. To thrust; to put, place or send; followed by in, into, under, over, &c.; as, to clap one under the hatches; to clap one into Bedlam; to clap a board over a pit. – Shak. Spectator.
5. To applaud; to manifest approbation or praise by striking the hands together; as, to clap a performance on the stage.
6. To infect with venereal poison. – Wiseman. To clap up, to make or complete hastily; as, to clap up a peace. – Shak. Howel. #2. To imprison hastily, or with little delay. – Sandys.

CLAP'-BOARD, n.

A thin narrow board for covering houses. In England, according to Bailey, a clapboard is also what in America is called a stave for casks.

CLAP'-DISH, n.

A wooden bowl or dish.

CLAP'-DOC-TOR, n.

One who is skilled in healing the clap. – Tatler.

CLAP'-NET, n.

A net for taking larks, united with a looking-glass. – Bailey. Encyc.

CLAP'PED, pp.

Thrust or put on or together; applauded by striking the hands together; infected with the venereal disease.

CLAP'PER, n.

1. A person who claps, or applauds by clapping.
2. That which strikes, as the tongue of a bell, or the piece of wood that strikes a mill-hopper.
3. A burrow or inclosure. [Obs.]

CLAP'PER-CLAW, v.t. [clap and claw.]

To scold; to abuse with the tongue; to revile. – Shak. Hudibras.

CLAP'PING, ppr.

Driving or putting on, in, over, or under, by a sudden motion; striking the hands together.

CLAP'-TRAP, a.

A trap for clapping in theaters.

CLARE, n.

A nun of the order of St. Clare. – Chalmers.

CLAR'EN-CEUX, or CLAR'EN-CIEUX, n.

In Great Britain, the second king at arms, so called from the duke of Clarence, and appointed by Edward IV. His office is to marshal and dispose the funerals of all baronets, knights and esquires, on the south of the river Trent. – Bailey. Encyc.

CLARE-OB-SCURE', n. [L. clarus, clear, and obscurus; obscure.]

Light and shade in painting; or the particular distribution of the lights and shades of a piece, with respect to the ease of the eye and the effect of the whole piece; also, a design of two colors. – Encyc.

CLAR'ET, n. [Fr. clairet, from clair, clear; It. claretto.]

A species of French wine, of a clear pale red color. – Thomson.

CLAR'I-CHORD, n. [L. clarus, clear, and chorda, a string. See Chord.]

A musical instrument in form of a spinet, called also manichord. It has forty-nine or fifty stops or keys, and seventy strings; some of the latter being in unison. There are several little mortises for passing the jacks, armed with brass hooks, which stop and raise the chords, instead of the feather used in virginals and spinets. The chords are covered with pieces of cloth, which deaden the sound and render it sweeter. Hence it is particularly used by nuns. – Encyc.

CLAR-I-FI-CA'TION, n. [See Clarify.]

The act of clearing; particularly the clearing or fining of liquid substances from all feculent matter. – Bacon.

CLAR'IFI-ED, pp.

Purified; made clear or fine; defecated.