noun
clapper
KLAP
noun
1
The part inside a bell that swings and strikes it to make it ring.
"The clapper had come loose, so the bell made no sound."
"She tied a ribbon to the clapper to keep the bell quiet."
2
The hinged board on a clapperboard, used at the start of a film take to sync sound and picture.
"The assistant snapped the clapper shut and called "action.""
3
Someone who claps or applauds.
"He was the loudest clapper in the whole audience."
How to Use Clapper
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe swinging piece inside a bell, or the hinged film-slate board — both named for the clapping/striking action.
Common pairings
the clapper of a bell
clapperboard
Word Forms
clappered past tense, clappers plural, clappers plural, Clappers plural, clappers singular
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The _____ had come loose, so the bell made no sound.