handclap

[ hand-klap ]

noun

1. a clapping of the hands.

Word History and Origins

Origin of handclap¹

First recorded in 1815–25; hand + clap ¹

Example Sentences

The song, performed as a duet with the Pakistani singer Shae Gill, defies such simple classifications — it’s a pop banger sung in Urdu and Punjabi, punctuated with flamenco handclaps and driven by a reggaeton beat.

From New York Times

Mr. Watford’s signature hit was “So Into You,” a jubilant ditty that paired his romantic, yearning vocal, inspired by Luther Vandross, with insistent strings, a lush piano line, and frequent handclaps and drum rolls.

From New York Times

But among the most meaningful work of her career has boiled down to a series of handclaps.

From New York Times

Danielle: Suddenly, I realised, oh my God, I can put reverb on this guitar or, I can pitch up this handclap so it sounds brighter.

From BBC

But he surrounds them with a production, credited to Scoop DeVille, that keeps melting down and reshaping itself around him: with synthesizers and handclaps, with hard-rock guitars, with echoey backup voices.

From New York Times