claque

Definition

A group of people hired to attend a performance and to either applaud or boo.

Etymology

Borrowed from French claque (“group of people hired to applaud or boo, claque”, literally “a slap; a clap”).

Example Sentences

• "The most popular singers have been obliged to give free tickets and even to donate cash, lest the claque retaliate by frantic applause at the wrong moment."
• "The claque isn't paid. In fact, claqueurs pay to get in. The inducement is that they can buy standing room for half price, without waiting in line."
• "The political speeches began. What they lacked in originality, they made up in emphasis. It was clear that there was a claque of enthusiasts near the platform, whose Vivas! were caught be the microphones and magnified into a simulacrum of popular enthusiasm."

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