Claque
/klæk/noun
A group of hired applauders or supporters in an audience.
Did you know?The word came from French theater culture, where a claque could be organized to make a performer look divinely successful—or to bury them in silence.
Etymological Timeline
French onomatopoeic base
French
claquer
“to clap, crack, or smack”
19th Century
French
claque
“a hired group of applauders in a theater”
19th Century
English
claque
“a body of paid supporters who applaud on cue”
Modern English
English
claque
“a group of people paid or organized to applaud or support someone”