EGAVE

cluck

About 0.16 uses per million words.

Meaning

  1. noun The sound made by a hen, especially when brooding, or calling her chicks.
  2. noun Any sound similar to this.
  3. noun A kind of tongue click used to urge on a horse.
    .mw-parser-output .maintenance-box{width:90%;margin:0.75em auto;border-width:1px;border-style:dashed;padding:0.25em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .maintenance-box>table td p:last-of-type{margin-bottom:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-image-cell{padding:0 0.5em}.mw-parser-output .request-box{margin:0.75em 1em 0.75em 1em;border:1px dashed var(--border-color-base,#999999);padding:0.25em;background:var(--background-color-base,#FFFFFF)}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .request-box table{margin-top:0.25em;margin-bottom:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-blue{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-indigo-2,#E6E6FF);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-indigo-9,#000061)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-red{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-red-2,#FFE6E6);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-red-9,#610000)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-yellow{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-yellow-2,#FFFFE6);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-yellow-9,#616100)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-grey{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-grey-2,#F2F2F2);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-grey-9,#303030)}.mw-parser-output .maintenance-box-orange{background-color:var(--wikt-palette-orange-2,#FFF2E6);border:1px dashed var(--wikt-palette-orange-9,#612F00)}(This entry needs a sound clip exemplifying the definition.)
  4. noun A setting hen.
  5. verb To make low clicking sounds (refers to hens).
  6. verb To cause (the tongue) to make a clicking sound.
    My mother clucked her tongue in disapproval.
  7. verb To call together, or call to follow, as a hen does her chickens.
  8. verb To suffer withdrawal from heroin.

Similar words

clack click cackle chirrup kackle chuck cuckooing claik gaggling quawk

Often followed by

of and like their over in to cluck at

Word family

clucked clucking clucks

Save “cluck” to learn later