Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CLAB'BER, or BON'NY-CLAB-BER, n.

Milk turned, become thick or inspissated. [G. lab, D. leb, rennet.]

CLACK, n. [W. clec, a sharp noise, a crack, tale-bearing; cleca, clecian, clegyr, to clack, to crack, to tattle. See the Verb.]

1. A sharp, abrupt sound continually repeated, such as is made by striking an object, or by bursting or cracking; continual talk; as, we do not wish to hear his clack; a common expression. Hence the word is used for the tongue, the instrument of clacking. – Butler. Prior.
2. The instrument that strikes the hopper of a grist-mill, to move or shake it, for discharging the corn. And according to Johnson, a bell that rings when more corn is required to be put in. To clack wool, is to cut off the sheep's mark, which makes it weigh less, and yield less duty. [Not used, I believe, in America.]

CLACK, v.i. [Fr. claquer, to flap or snap; cliquet, a mill-clapper; cliqueter, to clack; W. cleca, clegyr; Ir. clagaim; D. klakken; Sax. cloccan, to cluck; L. glocio. Probably from the root of the L. loquor, Gr. λακω, ληκεω. See Cluck, and Class Lg, No. 27.]

1. To make a sudden sharp noise, as by striking or cracking; to clink; to click.
2. To utter words rapidly and continually, or with sharp, abrupt sounds; to let the tongue run.

CLACK'ER, n.

One that clacks; that which clacks.

CLACK'ING, n.

A prating.

CLACK'ING, ppr.

Making a sharp, abrupt sound, continually repeated; talking continually; tattling; rattling with the tongue.

CLAD, pp. [See Clothe.]

Clothed; invested, covered as with a garment. Jeroboam had clad himself with a new garment. – 1 Kings xi. The fields are clad in cheerful green.

CLAIM, n.

1. A demand of a right or supposed right; a calling on another for something due, or supposed to be due; as, a claim of wages for services. A claim implies a right or supposed right in the claimant to something which is in another's possession or power. A claim may be made in words, by suit, and by other means. The word is usually preceded by make or lay; to make claim; to lay claim.
2. A right to claim or demand; a title to any debt, privilege, or other thing in possession of another; as, a prince has a claim to the throne. Homer's claims to the first rank among Epic poets have rarely been disputed. – Anon.
3. The thing claimed, or demanded.
4. A loud call. – Spenser. [This original sense of the word is now obsolete.]

CLAIM, v.t. [L. clamo, to cry out, to call upon; It. clamare, or chiamare; Port. clamar; Sp. llamar; Sax. hlemman; Sw. glamma; Ir. glamaim.]

1. To call for; to ask or seek to obtain, by virtue of authority, right or supposed right; to challenge as a right; to demand as due; as, to claim a debt; to claim obedience or respect.
2. To assert, or maintain as a right; as, he claims to be the best poet of the age.
3. To have a right or title to; as, the heir claims the estate by descent; he claims a promise.
4. To proclaim. [Obs.] Spenser.
5. To call or name. [Obs.]

CLAIM'A-BLE, a.

That may be demanded as due.

CLAIM'ANT, n.

1. A person who claims; one who demands any thing as his right.
2. A person who has a right to claim, or demand.

CLAIM'ED, pp.

Demanded as due; challenged as a right; asserted; maintained.

CLAIM'ER, n.

A claimant; one who demands as due.

CLAIM'ING, ppr.

Demanding as due; challenging as a right; asserting; maintaining; having a right to demand.

CLAIM'LESS, a.

Having no claim.

CLAIR-OB-SCURE', n.

See CLARE-OBSCURE.

CLAIR-VOY'ANCE, n. [Fr.]

Clear-sightedness; quick wit; ready understanding.

CLAIR-VOY'ANT, a.

Clear-sighted; discerning.

CLAM, n. [See the Verb.]

The popular name of certain bivalvular shell-fish, of many species.

CLAM, v.i.

To be moist. [Little used.] – Dryden.

CLAM, v.t. [Sax. clæmian, to glue; D. klam, clammy; lym, glue; G. klamm, close, clammy; klemmen, to pinch; Dan. klammer, to cling; klemmer, to squeeze, or pinch; lim, glue; limer, to glue; limagtig, clammy. Qu. W. clymu, to bind or tie a knot. See Lime, and Class Lm, No. 1, 5, 9, 13.]

To clog with glutinous or viscous matter. L'Estrange.

CLA'MANT, a. [See Claim.]

Crying; beseeching. – Thomson.

CLAM'BER, v.i. [from climb, or D. klampen, to grapple.]

To climb with difficulty, or with hands and feet. – Addison.

CLAM'BER-ING, ppr.

Climbing with effort and labor.

CLAM'MI-NESS, n. [See Clammy.]

The state of being viscous; viscosity; stickiness; tenacity of a soft substance. – Moxon.