Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CLAM'MY, a. [See Clam.]

Thick, viscous, adhesive; soft and sticky; glutinous; tenacious; as, bodies clammy and cleaving. – Bacon. Cold sweat, in clammy drops, his limbs o'erspread. – Dryden.

CLAM'OR, n. [L. clamor; Fr. clameur; Ir. glam; Sax. hlem. See Claim.]

1. A great outcry; noise; exclamation; vociferation, made by a loud human voice continued or repeated, or by a multitude of voices. It often expresses complaint and urgent demand. – Shak. Prior.
2. Figuratively, loud and continued noise, as of a river or other inanimate things. – Addison.

CLAM'OR, v.i.

To utter loud sounds, or outcries; to talk loud; to utter loud voices repeatedly; to vociferate, as an individual; to utter loud voices, as a multitude; to complain; to make importunate demands. – Shak. Bacon. Those who most loudly clamor for liberty do not most liberally grant it. – Anon. “Clamor your tongues,” in Shakspeare, if intended to mean, “stop from noise,” is not English. Perhaps the word was clam, or intended for a derivative.

CLAM'OR, v.t.

To stun with noise. – Bacon. To clamor bells, is to multiply the strokes. – Warburton.

CLAM'OR-ER, n.

One who clamors. – Chesterfield.

CLAM'OR-ING, ppr.

Uttering and repeating loud words; making a great and continued noise; particularly in complaint or importunate demands.

CLAM'OR-OUS, a.

Speaking and repeating loud words; noisy; vociferous; loud; turbulent. – Hooker. Pope. Swift.

CLAM'OR-OUS-LY, adv.

With loud noise or words.

CLAM'OR-OUS-NESS, n.

The state or quality of being loud or noisy.

CLAMP, n. [D. klamp; G. klammer, klemmen; Dan. klamp; W. clymu, to tie.]

1. In general, something that fastens or binds; a piece of timber or of iron, used to fasten work together; or a particular manner of uniting work by letting boards into each other.
2. In ship-building, a thick plank on the inner part of a ship's side, used to sustain the ends of the beams.
3. A smooth crooked plate of iron forelocked on the trunnions of a cannon to keep it fast to the carriage. Clamps are also used to strengthen masts, and to fasten the masts and bowsprits of small vessels and of boats. – Mar. Dict.
4. A pile of bricks laid up for burning, in which the end of one brick is laid over another, and a space is left between the bricks for the fire to ascend. – Encyc. Clamp-irons, irons used at the ends of fires to keep the fuel from falling. – Bailey. Clamp-nails, nails used to fasten on clamps in ships.

CLAMP, v.t.

1. To fasten with clamps.
2. In joinery, to fit a piece of board with the grain, to the end of another piece of board across the grain; as, to clamp a table to prevent its warping. – Moxon.

CLAMP'ED, pp.

United or strengthened with a clamp.

CLAMP'ING, ppr.

Fastening or strengthening with a clamp.

CLAM'-SHELL, n.

The shell of a clam.

CLAN, n. [Ir. clann, or cland, children, posterity; a tribe, breed, generation, family. Erse, clan or klaan. Perhaps G. klein, small.]

1. A race; a family; a tribe. Hence, an association of persons under a chieftain. – Milton. Dryden.
2. In contempt, a sect, society, or body of persons closely united by some common interest or pursuit. – Swift. Note. In Russ. kolieno signifies a knee, and a family, race or tribe; Irish glun, the knee, and a generation.

CLAN'CU-LAR, a. [L. clancularius.]

Clandestine; secret; private; concealed. [Little used.]

CLAN'CU-LAR-LY, adv.

Privately; secretly. [Little used.]

CLAN-DES'TINE, a. [L. clandestinus.]

Secret; private; hidden; withdrawn from public view. It often bears an ill sense, as implying craft or deception, or evil design.

CLAN-DES'TINE-LY, adv.

Secretly; privately; in secret.

CLAN-DES'TINE-NESS, n.

Secrecy; a state of concealment.

CLANG, n. [L. clangor; G. klang; D. klank. See the Verb.]

A sharp, shrill sound, made by striking together metallic substances, or sonorous bodies, as the clang of arms; or any like sound, as the clang of trumpets. This word implies a degree of harshness in the sound, or more harshness than clink. – Milton.

CLANG, v.t. [L. clango, to sound; G. klang; D. klank; Sw. klang; Dan. klang; Gr. κλαγγω, κλαζω, κλαγξω, εκλαγον. It appears from the Greek, that n is not radical, and that this word belongs to Class Lg, coinciding with clink, clank, and probably with clack.]

To make a sharp, shrill sound, as by striking metallic substances; or to strike with a sharp sound. They clanged their sounding arms. – Prior.

CLANG'OR, n. [L.]

A sharp, shrill, harsh sound. [See Clang.] – Dryden.

CLANG'OR-OUS, a.

Sharp, or harsh in sound. – Spectator.

CLANG'OUS, a.

Making a clang, or a shrill, or harsh sound. – Brown.