Clap vs Snap - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between clap and snap

is that clap is the act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together while snap is a quick breaking or cracking sound or the action of producing such a sound.

As verbs the difference between clap and snap

is that clap is to strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound while snap is to fracture or break apart suddenly.

As an interjection snap is

the winning cry at a game of snap.

clap

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.

He summoned the waiter with a clap .

The explosive sound of thunder.

* Episode 12, The Cyclops

The deafening claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of lightning which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the artillery of heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the already gruesome spectacle.

Any loud, sudden, explosive sound made by striking hard surfaces together, or resembling such a sound.

Off in the distance, he heard the clap of thunder.

* Jonathan Swift

Give the door such a clap , as you go out, as will shake the whole room.

A slap with the hand, usually in a jovial manner.

His father's affection never went further than a handshake or a clap on the shoulder.

A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow.

* Shakespeare

What, fifty of my followers at a clap !

(falconry) The nether part of the beak of a hawk.

(Yorkshire) A dropping of cow dung (presumably from the sound made as it hits the ground) Edward Peacock, A Glossary of Words Used in the Wapentakes of Manley and Corringham, Lincolnshire , p 188

* 1890 , John Nicholson, Folk Lore of East Yorkshire , page 139

“Oh! get some coo clap (cow dung), mix it wi’ fish oil (whale oil), put it on, and let it stop on all neet.”

Synonyms

* (sound of thunder) thunderclap * See also

Derived terms

* thunderclap

Verb

(Clapping)

To strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound.

The children began to clap in time with the music.

To applaud.

The audience loudly clapped the actress, who responded with a deep curtsey.

It isn’t the singers they are clapping ; it's the composer.

To slap with the hand in a jovial manner.

He would often clap his teammates on the back for encouragement.

To bring two surfaces together forcefully, creating a sharp sound.

He clapped the empty glass down on the table.

She clapped the book shut.

''He clapped across the floor in his boots.

* Marvell

Then like a bird it sits and sings, / And whets and claps its silver wings.

To come together suddenly with noise.

* Dryden

The doors around me clapped .

To create or assemble (something) hastily (usually followed by up'' or ''together ).

We should clap together a shelter before nightfall.

''The rival factions clapped up a truce.

To set or put, usually in haste.

The sheriff clapped him in jail.

She was the prettiest thing I'd ever clapped eyes on.

* John Locke

He had just time to get in and clap to the door.

* Lamb

Clap an extinguisher upon your irony.

(slang, AAVE) To shoot (somebody) with a gun.

Derived terms

* clapper * claptrap * clapperboard

Etymology 2

Uncertain.

Noun

(en noun)

Gonorrhea.

1997 MASH

* “What in hell makes you think he's got the clap ?” Hawkeye asked. “Even a clap doctor can't diagnose it through a parka

1998 Dan Savage

* When I explained that I thought he had given me the clap , he said I must be mistaken, it had to be someone I'd “tricked” with at ... He'd never had an STD in his life, he told me, and slammed down the phone.

1998 Changing Bodies

* He thought I had given him the clap [gonorrhea], but I knew I didn't.

2006 The STDs Update

* Gonorrhea, sometimes called the clap , is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

I'm gonna kill that bitch for giving me the clap !

If your dick has "the drip" you probably have the clap and need to go to the sex clinic.

He wasn't careful; he caught both syphilis and the clap .

References

Anagrams

* ----

snap

English

(wikipedia snap)

Noun

A quick breaking or cracking sound or the action of producing such a sound.

A sudden break.

An attempt to seize, bite, attack, or grab.

The act of making a snapping sound by pressing the thumb and a opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm.

A fastening device that makes a snapping sound when used.

A photograph (an abbreviation of snapshot)

The sudden release of something held under pressure or tension.

A thin circular cookie or similar good:

a ginger snap

A brief, sudden period of a certain weather;

A very short period of time (figuratively, the time taken to snap one's fingers), or a task that can be accomplished in such a period.

It'll be a snap to get that finished.

I can fix most vacuum cleaners in a snap .

A snap bean such as Phaseolus vulgaris .

(American football) The passing of a football from the center to a back that begins play, a hike.

A rivet: a scrapbooking embellishment.

(UK, regional) A small meal, a snack; lunch.

* 1913 , , Penguin 2006, page 89:

When I went to put my coat on at snap time, what should go runnin' up my arm but a mouse.

(uncountable) A card game, primarily for children, in which players cry "snap" to claim pairs of matching cards.

(obsolete) A greedy fellow.

(rfquotek, L'Estrange)

That which is, or may be, snapped up; something bitten off, seized, or obtained by a single quick movement; hence, a bite, morsel, or fragment; a scrap.

* Ben Jonson

He's a nimble fellow, / And alike skilled in every liberal science, / As having certain snaps of all.

briskness; vigour; energy; decision

(slang, archaic) Any circumstance out of which money may be made or an advantage gained.

A snapper, or snap beetle.

(Webster 1913)

Derived terms

* snappy

Verb

(transitive) To fracture or break apart suddenly.

He snapped his stick in anger.

If you bend it too much, it will snap .

* Burke

But this weapon will snap short, unfaithful to the hand that employs it.

To give forth or produce a sharp cracking noise; to crack.

Blazing firewood snaps .

To attempt to seize with the teeth or bite.

A dog snaps''' at a passenger. A fish '''snaps at the bait.

To attempt to seize with eagerness.

She snapped at the chance to appear on television.

To speak abruptly or sharply.

He snapped at me for the slightest mistake.

To give way abruptly and loudly.

To suffer a mental breakdown, usually while under tension.

She should take a break before she snaps .

To flash or appear to flash as with light.

To fit or fasten together with a snapping sound.

(intransitive, computing, graphical user interface) To jump to a fixed position relative to another element.

The floating toolbar will snap to the edge of the screen when dragged towards it.

To snatch with or as if with the teeth.

* South

He, by playing too often at the mouth of death, has been snapped by it at last.

To pull apart with a snapping sound; to pop loose.

To say abruptly or sharply.

(dated) To speak to abruptly or sharply; to treat snappishly; usually with up .

(Granville)

To cause something to emit a snapping sound.

to snap a fastener

to snap a whip

To close something using a snap as a fastener.

To snap one's fingers: to make a snapping sound, often by pressing the thumb and an opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm; alternatively, by bringing the index finger quickly down onto the middle finger and thumb.

* Sir Walter Scott

MacMorian snapped his fingers repeatedly.

To cause to move suddenly and smartly.

To take a photograph; to release a camera's shutter (which may make a snapping sound).

He snapped a picture of me with my mouth open and my eyes closed.

(American football) To pass the ball from the center to a back; to hike the ball.

He can snap the ball to a back twenty yards behind him.

To misfire.

The gun snapped .

Derived terms

* snap at someone's heels * snap it up * snap one's fingers * snap someone's head off * snap up * unsnap

Interjection

(en-interj)!

The winning cry at a game of .

(British) By extension from the card game, "I've got one the same." or similar

Snap! We've both got pink buckets and spades.

(British) Ritual utterance of agreement (after the cry in the card game snap).

(US) Used in place of expletive to express surprise, usually in response to a negative statement or news; often used facetiously.

"I just ran over your phone with my car." "Oh, snap !"

(British, Australia, NZ) Ritual utterance used after something is said by two people at exactly the same time.

"Wasn't that John?" "Wasn't that John?" "Snap !"

Synonyms

* (used after simultaneous utterance) jinx

Anagrams

* English interjections English intransitive verbs English transitive verbs ----