clonk

English

Etymology

Imitative. Compare clink, clank, clunk.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /klɒŋk/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒŋk

Noun

clonk (plural clonks)

1. The abrupt sound of two hard objects coming into contact.
   • 1959 March, R. C. Riley, “Home with the Milk”, in Trains Illustrated, page 154:

     Our milkman is a jovial character, but not one given to yodelling at the customers on his round. Only the resounding "clonk" of bottles advises us that a couple of pints have been left on the doorstep.

   • 1969, Kurt Vonnegut, chapter 2, in Slaughterhouse-Five‎^[1], New York: Dial, published 2005, page 54:

     He passed under a low branch now. It hit the top of his helmet with a clonk.

   • 2002, Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man:

     The minute hand moved with a clonk, and shuddered to a halt on the 9.

2. (fishing) A stick-like tool used to strike the surface of the water and produce a sound that causes nearby fish to attack the bait.

Translations

sound

• Finnish: kolahdus (fi)

Verb

clonk (third-person singular simple present clonks, present participle clonking, simple past and past participle clonked)

1. To make such a sound.
   • 1953, Saul Bellow, chapter 17, in The Adventures of Augie March, New York: Viking Press, →OCLC, page 371:

     One half-naked kid with a garrison cap clonked on the marimba; the little black rubber balls on his sticks struck fast.

Translations

to make sound

• Finnish: kolauttaa, kolahtaa (fi), kalauttaa (fi), kalahtaa (fi)