Click
/klɪk/noun
To make a short, sharp sound, or to press and release a button or switch.
Did you know?English also formed the sense of “click” for a latch or trigger-like sound by imitation, and its rise shows how a simple sound became a command word for machines, mice, and modern attention.
Etymological Timeline
15th Century
English
clicken
“to make a short, sharp sound; an imitative sound-word”
16th Century
English
click
“a brief, sharp, audible tap or snap”
18th–19th Century
English
click
“a mechanical catching or snapping sound, especially from a latch or lock”
20th Century
English
click
“the action of pressing a button or switch, especially on a computer mouse”
Modern English
English
click
“to make a short sharp sound; to select or activate by pressing a control”