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

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 notes

In 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.

Word forms

clancies plural, Clancys plural

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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

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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.