noun
- a person who applauds.
- the tongue of a bell.
- Slang. the tongue.
- Usually clappers. two flat sticks held between the fingers and struck rhythmically against each other to produce abrupt, sharp sounds.
- Printing. a platen press.
noun
- a person or thing that claps
- a contrivance for producing a sound of clapping, as for scaring birds
- Also called: tongue a small piece of metal suspended within a bell that causes it to sound when made to strike against its side
- a slang word for tongue (def. 1)
- go like the clappers, run like the clappers or move like the clappers British informal to move extremely fast
late 13c., agent noun from clap (v.). Meaning “tongue of a bell” is from late 14c. Old English had clipur. Meaning “hinged board snapped in front of a camera at the start of filming to synchronize picture and sound” is from 1940.