Dictionary

claque en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈklæk/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from French claque (“group of people hired to applaud or boo, claque”, literally “a slap; a clap”).

Meanings

1. (collective) A group of people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo.
   • The political speeches began. What they lacked in originality, they made up in emphasis. It was clear that there was a claque of enthusiasts near the platform, whose Vivas! were caught be the microphones and magnified into a simulacrum of popular enthusiasm. 2012, Theodore Dalrymple, The Wilder Shores of Marx: Journeys in a Vanishing World:
   • The claque isn't paid. In fact, claqueurs pay to get in. The inducement is that they can buy standing room for half price, without waiting in line. 1957 December 22, John Briggs, “What every young claqueur should know”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2021, page 53, columns 4–7:
   • The most popular singers have been obliged to give free tickets and even to donate cash, lest the claque retaliate by frantic applause at the wrong moment. 1930 February 23, “Theatre claqueurs in Vienna form union; now get two Wienerwursts for simple applause, six with beer for special ovations”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2021, page 4, column 1:
2. (broadly) A group of fawning admirers.
   • The most obvious gay connection to opera is the cult of the diva. Stauncher even than the fans of Garland of Striesand, the claques of Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland (among others) have been fanatical in their devotion. Going beyond the usual "appreciation stage" the fans glorify and deify their stars: Callas was "La Divina," Sutherland "La Stupenda." 1981 December 5, Michael Bronski, “Coming (Out) to Opera”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 20, page 6:
3. (broadly) A group of people who pre-arrange among themselves to express strong support for an idea, so as to give the false impression of a wider consensus.

Forms

Relateds

claqueur · clique · astroturf

Translations (29)

pt claque (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · uk клака (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · fi ihailijaryhmä (group of fawning admirers) · sv klack (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · de Claque (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · cs klaka (group of people who pre-arrange among themselves to express strong support for an idea) · pl klaka (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · ja クラック (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · fi ryhmittymä (group of people who pre-arrange among themselves to express strong support for an idea) · es claque (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · ru кла́керы (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · bg клакьори (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · cmn 職業觀衆 /职业观众 (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · fi liittouma (group of people who pre-arrange among themselves to express strong support for an idea) · cs klaka (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · it claque (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · tr şakşakçı (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · ceb batos (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · ru кла́ка (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · cmn 集團喝彩 /集团喝彩 (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · es clac (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · is klapplið (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · th หน้าม้า (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · hu klakk (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · sv hejarklack (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · ca claca (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · cmn 充場 /充场 (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · fr claque (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo) · fi palkattu yleisö (people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo)