the.com/clap
the original applause: two hands colliding to say more than words can.
means To strike the palms of your hands together repeatedly, usually to show approval, appreciation, or to get attention.
from From Old English 'clappian,' meaning to throb, beat, or strike — a word built from sound itself, echoing the sharp percussive noise it names. It has Germanic cousins, like Old Norse 'klappa' (to pat or stroke), and the whole family is essentially onomatopoeic: the word is the noise of two surfaces meeting. The same root branches off into 'clapper' (the tongue of a bell) and a host of other striking, banging senses.
- sound speed
- a clap travels at roughly 1,125 feet per second
- thunderclap
- thunder is literally air clapping shut behind lightning
- echo trick
- clapping in canyons maps distance via returning echoes
- shrimp power
- pistol shrimp snap claws loud enough to stun prey
- slow clap
- a single sarcastic gesture that became a film trope
slow clap — audience applause that starts slow and builds, famously used at award shows and sporting events
standing ovation clap — prolonged applause with audience members standing, given at concerts, theater premieres, and ceremonies
clap skates — speed skating blades with hinged heel that claps back onto boot, used in olympic short-track racing since 1997