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cluck

(klŭk)

a. The characteristic sound made by a hen when brooding or calling its chicks.

b. A sound similar to this.

2. Informal A stupid or foolish person.

v. clucked, cluck·ing, clucks

v.intr.

1. To utter the characteristic sound of a hen.

2. To make a sound similar to that of a hen, as in coaxing a horse.

v.tr.

1. To call by making the characteristic sound of a hen or a similar sound.

2. To express by clucking: He clucked disapproval.

[Middle English clokken, from Old English cloccian.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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