claquer

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kla.ke/
  • Audio(file)

Etymology 1

From Middle French claquer, from Old French claquer, clacquer (“to clack, clap, clatter”), from Middle Dutch klacken (“to clack, crack, whack, shake”), from Old Dutch *klakon, from Proto-Germanic *klakōną (“to clap, chirp”), from Proto-Indo-European *glag- (“to make a noise, clatter, chirp”). Cognate with Old Norse klaka (“to twitter, chatter, wrangle, dispute”). More at clack.

Verb

claquer

  1. (intransitive) to clack (make a sharp sound)
  2. (of hands) to clap
    claquer des mains
    clap one's hands
    claquer les acrobates
    clap the acrobats
  3. (intransitive, of fingers) to click, to snap
    faire claquer ses doigts
    to click one's fingers
  4. (intransitive, of a whip) to crack
    faire claquer un fouet
    to crack a whip
  5. (intransitive, of a flag) to flap
  6. (intransitive, of teeth) to chatter
    • 1829, Victor Hugo, Le Dernier Jour d’un condamné
      Je me levai ; mes dents claquaient, mes mains tremblaient et ne savaient où trouver mes vêtements, mes jambes étaient faibles.
      I got up; my teeth were chattering, my hands shaking, not knowing where to find my clothes, my legs were weak,
  7. (intransitive, of gunshots) to rattle
  8. (intransitive, of shutters) to rattle
  9. (intransitive) to click (to make a click sound with the mouth)
  10. (transitive) to slap (hit with the hand)
  11. (transitive) to slam (a door)
    J'ai claqué la porte au nez de mon voisin.
    I slammed the door in my neighbour's face.
  12. (reflexive) to snap
    se claquer un muscle
    to snap a muscle
Conjugation
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From claque

Verb

claquer

  1. to sole a shoe

Further reading

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