clank

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klæŋk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk

Noun

clank (plural clanks)

This entry needs a sound clip exemplifying the definition.

1. A loud, hard sound of metal hitting metal.

Usage notes

• Clank usually expresses a duller or less resounding sound than clang, and a deeper and stronger sound than clink.

Derived terms

• clankless
• clanky

Translations

loud, hard metallic sound

Finnish: kalahdus (fi) (individual), kalina (fi) (repetitive) Macedonian: ѕвек m (dzvek), ѕвекот m (dzvekot), ждрингот m (ždringot) Russian: лязг (ru) m (ljazg), бряца́ние (ru) n (brjacánije)

Verb

clank (third-person singular simple present clanks, present participle clanking, simple past and past participle clanked)

1. (intransitive) To make a clanking sound

   The chains clanked.

   • 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros‎, London: Jonathan Cape, page 7:

     Slung from his shoulders clanks a two-handed sword, the pommel a huge star-ruby carven in the image of a heart, for the heart is his sign and symbol.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

     Far less straightforward was what happened at about 0130 on Friday June 2 1944, as a long goods train was chuffing and clanking its unhurried way across the darkened landscape towards Soham, from Ely.

2. (transitive) To cause to sound with a clank.

   The prisoners clank their chains.

Derived terms

• clanker
• clankingly

 

Translations

to make a clanking sound

Arabic: قَعْقَعَ (qaʕqaʕa) Esperanto: klaki Finnish: kalauttaa (fi), kalahtaa (fi) (individual), kalistaa (fi), kalistella (fi), kalisuttaa (fi), kalahdella (fi) (repetitive) German: klirren (de), kläppern Portuguese: retinir (pt) Russian: ля́згать (ru) impf (ljázgatʹ), греме́ть (ru) impf (gremétʹ), бряца́ть (ru) impf (brjacátʹ), звя́кать (ru) impf (zvjákatʹ)

to cause to sound with a clank

German: aneinanderschlagen