cleck: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Obsolete/Regional (Very Rare)Dialectal / Archaic / Literary
Quick answer
What does “cleck” mean?
(verb) To hatch (an egg).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
(verb) To hatch (an egg); to give birth to or produce (offspring or young).
A chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialectal term. Can be used metaphorically to mean to conceive of or to start something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is essentially absent from American English. In British English, its only possible occurrence is in historical or dialectal texts, predominantly from Scotland and Northern England.
Connotations
If used in British English, it carries strong connotations of rural life, traditional speech, or deliberate archaism. In American English, it is completely unknown and would be seen as an error or a nonsense word.
Frequency
Effectively zero frequency in both standard dialects. Its survival is in fixed phrases in Scots dialects (e.g., 'cleckin' time' for hatching/birthing season).
Grammar
How to Use “cleck” in a Sentence
[Subject: bird/reptile] + cleck + [Object: egg/young]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cleck” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The hen will cleck her eggs in the spring.
- The old tale spoke of a dragon clecking its brood in the mountain.
American English
- (Not used in AmE) The dialect poem described the geese clecking by the loch.
adverb
British English
- (Not used)
American English
- (Not used)
adjective
British English
- (Rare, as past participle) The clecked chicks were vulnerable.
- (Not standard) A clecking hen is seldom seen.
American English
- (Not used in AmE)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Potentially in historical zoology or dialectology texts only.
Everyday
Not used in standard everyday English.
Technical
Not used in modern technical language.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cleck”
- Using it in modern standard English as a synonym for 'create' or 'make'.
- Spelling it as 'clech' or 'clek'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an obsolete dialect word, primarily from Scots and Northern English. It is extremely rare in modern standard English.
Only in a very deliberate, poetic, or metaphorical sense, drawing directly on its original meaning of 'hatch'. In normal usage, 'conceive', 'formulate', or 'devise' would be standard.
There is no standard modern noun form. Historically, 'clecking' could be used as a verbal noun (gerund), as in 'the clecking of the eggs'.
No, they are unrelated. 'Cleck' comes from Old Norse 'klekja' (to hatch). 'Click' is of onomatopoeic origin.
(verb) To hatch (an egg).
Cleck is usually dialectal / archaic / literary in register.
Cleck: in British English it is pronounced /klɛk/, and in American English it is pronounced /klɛk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “'cleckin' time' (dialect: the hatching or birthing season)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CLOCK ticking in an incubator until an egg CLECKS (hatches).
Conceptual Metaphor
BEGINNING IS HATCHING (e.g., 'The project finally clecked after months of planning.')
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'cleck' MOST likely to be encountered?