Also 5–7 clacke. [Goes with CLACK v.1: cf. F. claque clap or blow with the flat of the hand; also Du. klak, MHG. klac crack, etc. (Sense 6 may be the original (cf. the verb); but in its later use it is mainly transferred from branch I.)]
I. Of mechanical sounds, etc.
1. A sharp, sudden, dry sound as of two flat pieces of wood striking each other, partaking of the character of a clap and a crack.
[1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1860), 10. The clacke of thy mill is somewhat noisome.]
1598. Florio, Castagnette, little shels … to make a noise or sound or clack with their fingers.
1674. Petty, Disc. bef. R. Soc., 99–100. In all Breast- and Undershot-Mills … to count the Clacks, Revolutions or Stroaks made within the Time.
1833. Brewster, Nat. Magic, xi. 274. The clacks produced by the swivel of a ratchet-wheel permitted the dwarf to change his place, and return to the box unheard.
1861. L. L. Noble, Icebergs, 311. Hitting upon the wooden latch, up it came with a jerk and a clack that went, it seemed to me, to the ears of every sleeper.
1868. Morris, Earthly Par. (1870), I. I. 157. The great wheel’s measured clack.
2. An instrument that makes this noise.
1611. Cotgr., Cliquette … also, a childs rattle, or clacke.
1838. Thoms, Anecd. & Traditions, 113 (Halliw., s.v. Clacker). ‘Clacks of wood,’ small pieces of wood to clap with.
† 3. The clapper of a mill; an instrument that by striking the hopper causes the corn to be shaken into the mill-stones. Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., Clappe or clakke of a mille, tarantara, batillus.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Claquet de moulin, the clacke or clapper of a mill.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 29. 2/1. The Miller’s Clacks and the Lawyer’s Clacks are in perpetual Motion.
b. ‘A bell that rings, when more corn is required to be put in’ (J.); ‘a mill-hopper alarm.’
4. A rattle, worked by the wind, to scare away birds.
1676. Worlidge, Cyder (1691), 88. This far exceeds all Clacks and other devices to scare away the bold Bulfinch.
1824. T. Forster, Perenn. Cal., in Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 877.
| And then he startles at the sound | |
| Of the noisy cherryclack, | |
| That drives its flippant windsails round. |
5. A form of valve in pumps, etc., consisting of a flap, hinged at one side, covering the aperture, which is opened by the upward motion of the fluid, and closes either by its weight, or by the fluid’s backward pressure; often called a clack-valve.
1634. J. B[ate], Myst. Nat. & Art, 8. A Clacke is a peece of Leather nayled ouer any hole, hauing a peece of lead to make it lie close, so that the ayre or water in any vessell may thereby bee kept from going out.
1726. Desaguliers, in Phil. Trans., XXXIV. 80. An inverted Brass Clack or Valve shutting upwards, and falling down by its own Weight.
c. 1790. Imison, Sch. Arts, I. 169. A valve or clack, something like a trap-door, to shut downward.
1831. J. Holland, Manuf. Metals, I. 161. The lower board [of the] bellows … has a hole with a valve or clack.
1859. Rankine, Steam Engine, 117. Valves, sometimes called clacks … intended for the purpose of permitting the passage of the fluid in one direction only, and stopping its return.
b. In locomotive engines the valve that closes the opening of the feed-pump into the boiler; generally a ball-valve.
1829. ‘R. Stuart,’ Anecd. Steam-Engines, I. 188. The return of the water … is prevented by the usual means of a puppet-clack, or valve.
1849–50. Weale, Dict. Terms, 103/1. A ball-clack … to close the orifice of the feed-pipe, and prevent steam or hot water reaching the pumps. The ball of the clack is raised from its seat by the stroke of the pump-plunger forcing the water against it.
II. Of the human voice, tongue, etc.
6. Din of speech, noise or clatter of human tongues; contemptuously, loquacious talk, chatter senseless or continuous.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxxiv. 211. Ther quenes vs comeres with þer clakke.
a. 1566. R. Edwards, Damon & Pithias, in Hazl., Dodsley, IV. 97. Abandon flatt’ring tongues, whose clacks truth never tell.
1605. Drayton, Moone-Calfe (1627), 165 (R.). Who but one houre her lowd clack can endure.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. II. 445. His Tongue ran on … And with its Everlasting Clack Set all men’s ears upon the Rack.
1693. South, Serm., 158. Whose chief intent is to vaunt his spiritual clack.
1709. Addison, Tatler, No. 102, ¶ 1. The Clack of Tongues.
1781. J. Moore, View Soc. It. (1790), II. liv. 129. The aggregated clack of human voices.
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., I. 216. The tread of feet and clack of tongues.
1849. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 35. It was required of me to endure the infinite clatter of an old lady—clack, clack, clack, like pailfuls of water poured all over me, world without end.
7. A loud chat, a talk. (colloq.)
1813. G. Colman, Br. Grins., etc., Vagaries Vind., xi. (1872), 229. The merry chits maintained a half-quelled clack.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xlvii. (1854), 436. Seven north country whaling captains … ‘holding clack’ in our little cabin.
1888. J. Payn, Myst. Mirbridge (Tauchn.), II. xviii. 197. The old fellow would have had a clack with her.
8. contemptuously. The tongue. (Cf. 2, 3.)
1598. Greene, Jas. IV., Wks. (Gros.), XIII. 210. Haud your clacks lads.
1641. Brome, Joviall Crew, V. Wks. 1873, III. 435. He must talk all. His Clack must onely go.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, I. 61. And so, belike, their Clacks ran for half an Hour in my Praises.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., II. i. 23. Who, as washerwomen … at their work, could not hold their clack.
1864. E. Sargent, Peculiar, III. 76. To hermetically seal up this Mrs. Gentry’s clack.
† 9. A loquacious person, a chatterbox. Obs.
1640. Fuller, Joseph’s Coat (1867), 8. They are but clacks and tell-tales for their pains.
1680. Otway, Caius Marius, II. iii. (1735), 40. That well-spoken fool, That popular clack.
10. Comb.: clack-box (a) the box or chamber that contains the clack-valve of a pump; (b) in locomotive engines the box or cage enclosing the clack (see 5 b); (c) dial. ‘the mouth which contains a nimble tongue’ (Forby); clack-door, an opening into the clack-box of a pump; clack-mill, a wind-mill rattle for scaring birds (see 4); clack-seat, in locomotive engines a recess in the feed pump, for the clack to fit in; clack-valve, see 5. Also CLACK-DISH.
1849–50. Weale, Dict. Terms, *Clack-box, in locomotive engines, the box fitted on to the boiler where a ball-clack is placed.
1867. W. W. Smyth, Coal & Coal-mining, 181. If the water … rises above the *clack-door before the change be made.
1858. Lardner, Handbk. Nat. Phil. Hydrost., 114. The single *clack valve is the most simple example of the class.
