/ klʌk; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] when a chicken clucks , it makes a series of short low sounds
2.
to make a short low sound with your tongue to show that you feel sorry for sb or that you disapprove of sth :
[ v ]
The teacher clucked sympathetically at the child's story.
[also vn , v speech ]
■ noun
the low, short sounds that a chicken makes :
( figurative )
a cluck of impatience / annoyance
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent.: imitative, corresponding to Danish klukke , Swedish klucka .