clank

• IPA^(key): /klæŋk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk

clank (plural clanks)

1. A loud, hard sound of metal hitting metal.

• Clank usually expresses a duller or less resounding sound than clang, and a deeper and stronger sound than clink.

• clankless
• clanky

clank (third-person singular simple present clanks, present participle clanking, simple past and past participle clanked)

1. (intransitive) To make a clanking sound

   The chains clanked.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

     Far less straightforward was what happened at about 0130 on Friday June 2 1944, as a long goods train was chuffing and clanking its unhurried way across the darkened landscape towards Soham, from Ely.

2. (transitive) To cause to sound with a clank.

   The prisoners clank their chains.