Clap (klăp), n. 1. A loud noise made by sudden collision; a bang. “Give the door such a clap, as you go out, as will shake the whole room.” Swift.
2. A burst of sound; a sudden explosion.
Horrible claps of thunder.
Hakewill.
3. A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow.
What, fifty of my followers at a clap!
Shak.
4. A striking of hands to express approbation.
Unextrected claps or hisses.
Addison.
5. Noisy talk; chatter. Chaucer.
6. (Falconry) The nether part of the beak of a hawk.
Clap dish. See Clack dish, under Clack, n. — Clap net, a net for taking birds, made to close or clap together.