Click vs. Clack

A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock or a latch, or a finger pressed against the thumb and then released to strike the hand.

Example: ‘I turned the key, the lock gave a click and the door opened;’; ‘a click of one’s fingers’;

(phonetics) An ingressive sound made by coarticulating a velar or uvular closure with another closure.

Example: ‘tsk is a click in English.’;

Sound made by a dolphin.

The act of operating a switch, etc., so that it clicks.

The act of pressing a button on a computer mouse, both as a physical act and a reaction in the software.

Example: ‘With the right software you can program your mouse to do a double click with a single click (but that's cheating)’;

A single instance of content on the Internet being accessed.

A pawl or similar catch.

A detent, pawl, or ratchet, such as that which catches the cogs of a ratchet wheel to prevent backward motion.

The latch of a door.

(transitive) To cause to make a click; to operate (a switch, etc) so that it makes a click.

To press and release (a button on a computer mouse).

To select a software item using, usually, but not always, the pressing of a mouse button.

To visit a web site.

Example: ‘Visit a location, call, or click www.example.com.’;

To navigate by clicking a mouse button.

Example: ‘I soon grew bored and clicked away from the site.’; ‘From the home page, click through to the Products section.’;

(intransitive) To emit a click.

Example: ‘He bent his fingers back until the joints clicked.’;

(intransitive) To make sense suddenly.

Example: ‘Then it clicked - I had been going the wrong way all that time.’;

(intransitive) To get on well.

Example: ‘When we met at the party, we just clicked and we’ve been best friends ever since.’;

To tick.

To take (a photograph) with a camera.

(obsolete) To snatch.

(US) lang=en

The sound of a click.

Example: ‘Click! The door opened.’;

To make a slight, sharp noise (or a succession of such noises), as by gentle striking; to tick.

Example: ‘The varnished clock that clicked behind the door.’;

To move with the sound of a click.

Example: ‘She clicked back the bolt which held the window sash.’;

To cause to make a clicking noise, as by striking together, or against something.

Example: ‘[Jove] clicked all his marble thumbs.’; ‘When merry milkmaids click the latch.’;

To snatch.

A slight sharp noise, such as is made by the cocking of a pistol.

A kind of articulation used by the natives of Southern Africa, consisting in a sudden withdrawal of the end or some other portion of the tongue from a part of the mouth with which it is in contact, whereby a sharp, clicking sound is produced. The sounds are four in number, and are called cerebral, palatal, dental, and lateral clicks or clucks, the latter being the noise ordinarily used in urging a horse forward.

A detent, pawl, or ratchet, as that which catches the cogs of a ratchet wheel to prevent backward motion. See Illust. of Ratched wheel.

The latch of a door.

a short light metallic sound

depression of a button on a computer mouse;

Example: ‘a click on the right button for example’;

a stop consonant made by the suction of air into the mouth (as in Bantu)

a hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward

move or strike with a noise;

Example: ‘he clicked on the light’; ‘his arm was snapped forward’;

make a clicking or ticking sound;

Example: ‘The clock ticked away’;

click repeatedly or uncontrollably;

Example: ‘Chattering teeth’;

cause to make a snapping sound;

Example: ‘snap your fingers’;

produce a click;

Example: ‘Xhosa speakers click’;

make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens

become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions;

Example: ‘It dawned on him that she had betrayed him’; ‘she was penetrated with sorrow’;

a short, sharp sound as of a switch being operated or of two hard objects coming smartly into contact

Example: ‘she heard the click of the door’;

a speech sound produced as a type of plosive by sudden withdrawal of the tongue from the soft palate, front teeth, or back teeth and hard palate, occurring in some southern African and other languages.

an act of selecting an option on an electronic interface by pressing a button or touching a screen

Example: ‘it's normal for a click to select an item’;

make or cause to make a short, sharp sound as of a switch being operated or of two hard objects coming smartly into contact

Example: ‘Martha clicked her tongue’; ‘she clicked off the light’; ‘the key clicked in the lock and the door opened’;

select (an option on an electronic interface) by pressing a button or touching a screen

Example: ‘click the left mouse button twice’; ‘click on the illustration for a larger version’; ‘you can click on an underlined word to jump to another section’;

select an option on an electronic interface in order to reach another file, website, or web page

Example: ‘click through to the website to buy the CD’;

become suddenly clear or understandable

Example: ‘I wasn't used to such good treatment, then it clicked: we were wearing suits’;

quickly become friendly or intimate

Example: ‘I couldn't help notice how pretty and intelligent she was and we just clicked’; ‘I didn't meet a woman who I really clicked with until I was 40’;

become successful or popular

Example: ‘I don't think this issue has clicked with the voters’;

An abrupt, sharp sound, especially one made by two hard objects colliding repetitively; a sound midway between a click and a clunk.

Anything that causes a clacking noise, such as the clapper of a mill, or a clack valve.

Clatter; prattle.

(colloquial) The tongue.

(intransitive) To make a sudden, sharp noise, or succession of noises; to click.

(transitive) To cause to make a sudden, sharp noise, or succession of noises; to click.

To chatter or babble; to utter rapidly without consideration.

(UK) To cut the sheep's mark off (wool), to make the wool weigh less and thus yield less duty.

To make a sudden, sharp noise, or a succesion of such noises, as by striking an object, or by collision of parts; to rattle; to click.

Example: ‘We heard Mr.Hodson's whip clacking on the ahoulders of the poor little wretches.’;

To utter words rapidly and continually, or with abruptness; to let the tongue run.

To cause to make a sudden, sharp noise, or succession of noises; to click.

To utter rapidly and inconsiderately.

A sharp, abrupt noise, or succession of noises, made by striking an object.

Anything that causes a clacking noise, as the clapper of a mill, or a clack valve.

Continual or importunate talk; prattle; prating.

Example: ‘Whose chief intent is to vaunt his spiritual clack.’;

a sharp abrupt noise as if two objects hit together; may be repeated

a simple valve with a hinge on one side; allows fluid to flow in only one direction

make a rattling sound;

Example: ‘clattering dishes’;

make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens

speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

make a sharp sound or series of sounds as a result of a hard object striking another

Example: ‘he heard the sound of her heels clacking across flagstones’; ‘he clacked the bones together’;

chatter loudly

Example: ‘he will sit clacking for hours’;

a sharp sound or series of sounds

Example: ‘the clack of her high heels’;

loud chatter

Example: ‘her clack would go all day’;