clip-clop

English

Alternative forms

• clip clop

Etymology

Onomatopoeia for two hoofsteps or footfalls in succession.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈklɪp.klɒp/
• (US) IPA: /ˈklɪp.klɑːp/

Noun

clip-clop (plural clip-clops)

1. (onomatopoeia) The sound of shoed foot– or hoof-steps on hard ground.
   • 1925, [1996] Zane Grey, The Thundering Herd [1]

     The wagon creaked, swayed, moved on to strange accompaniment—clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop. The horses were trotting on hard road.

   • 1984, Anthony C. Yu, tr. 吴承恩, 西游记 (Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West) [2]

     With loud clip-clops, several middle-aged women ran out from within to stare at the T’ang monk, grinning stupidly all the time.

   • 2001, Dave Zorn, Dinky Dau: Love, War, and the Corps [3]

     Suddenly I heard the familiar “clip-clop, clip-clop” of shower shoes coming up the path behind me—and a rapid pace it was.

   • 2003, Ann Redisch Stampler, Something for Nothing [4]

     All night long, Dog heard the clip-clop of horses hauling the wagons to market.

Verb

clip-clop (third-person singular simple present clip-clops, present participle clip-clopping, simple past and past participle clip-clopped)

1. To make a clip-clop noise.
   • 1999, Mary Downing Hahn, Anna All Year Round [5]

     At the some moment, a horse clip-clops past, hauling a wagon.

   • 2002, D J Vallone, For the Love of Freedom [6]

     One of several pairs of mounted police in flak jackets clip-clops past, patrolling the perimeter.

Usage notes

• Used particularly of horses.
• Often repeated one or more times in succession to indicate multiple or continued steps.