noun
clancy
KLAN-see
Clancy (noun) means an overflow or spillage, especially of liquid. Example: “There was a clancy of water all over the kitchen floor after the pipe burst.”
noun
1
An overflow or spillage, especially of liquid.
"There was a clancy of water all over the kitchen floor after the pipe burst."
How to use clancy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dialect word for a spill or overflow, most often heard as an Irish surname rather than used as a common noun.
Common mistake
This noun sense is rare and regional; almost everyone encountering "Clancy" will read it as a surname or given name instead.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like clancy.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- clancies
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
There was a _____ of water all over the kitchen floor after the pipe burst.
Etymology
From Clancy of the Overflow, a character in a poem of that name (also in The Man from Snowy River) by Australian poet Banjo Patterson.
Rhymes for clancy
nancy
fancy
Yancy
truancy
vacancy
infancy
buoyancy
vagrancy
constancy
pregnancy
occupancy
necromancy
See all rhymes for clancy →
Frequently asked questions
What does “clancy” mean?
The word “clancy” means an overflow or spillage, especially of liquid. In plain terms, a dialect word for a spill or overflow, most often heard as an Irish surname rather than used as a common noun.
How do you pronounce “clancy”?
“Clancy” is pronounced KLAN-see (/ˈklænsi/ in IPA).
How do you use “clancy” in a sentence?
Here is “clancy” used in a sentence: “There was a clancy of water all over the kitchen floor after the pipe burst.”
What part of speech is “clancy”?
“Clancy” is a noun.
