Clonk
/klɒŋk/noun
To make or cause a dull, heavy, metallic sound.
Did you know?Clonk is an onomatopoeic word, meaning its form was shaped to imitate the blunt metallic noise it describes rather than inherited from an older classical root.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English
clonk
“A coined sound-imitative verb for making a dull, heavy noise.”
1820s
English
clonk
“Recorded in use as a verb meaning to make a dull, resonant sound.”
1830s–1840s
English
clonk
“Developed as a noun for the dull, heavy sound itself.”
20th Century
English
clonk
“Extended to striking or hitting something with a heavy, blunt impact.”
Modern English
English
clonk
“To produce, or the sound produced by, a dull metallic or heavy impact.”