▪ I. clash, n.
(klæʃ)
Also 6 clasche, classhe.
[This and the associated verb are first found about 1500, and appear to be onomatopœic; arising, in the main, from instinctive association with classes of pre-existing echoic words. The initial element is that of clap, clack, etc.; the final that of dash, splash, smash, swash, etc., or perhaps a direct imitation of the element of sound common to these. Clash thus suggests an action produced in the same way as a clap or clack, which, instead of abruptly ending like these, is broken down as it were into, and results in, a mingled mass of smashing or rustling sounds. A parallel relation exists in crack, crash, perh. in smack, smash, and in the dial. swack, swash; cf. also bash, blash, brash, as instances of words having a kindred element of form and signification. There is no phonetic relation between clack and clash; i.e. no way by which -ash could have been developed (in English) out of -ack by the mere operation of phonetic processes.]
1. The loud sound of collision made by a heavy stroke or blow, the first impact of which is firm and hard, but is followed by a confused sound of many looser and lighter impacts; the kind of blow or stroke which yields this sound. Still Sc.
| 1513 Douglas æneis ix. xii. 59 Sa felloun sownd or clap mayd this gret clasche. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clxxxvi. (R.), The heed of the speare made a great classhe on the bright chapewe of stele. 1747 Collins Passions xii. 23 In one rude clash he struck the lyre, And swept with hurried hand the strings. 1808–79 Jamieson s.v., ‘A clash on the side of the head’, a box on the ear. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxiii, Something fell with a heavy clash on the street before us..Conscience! if it isna the keys. 1876 Robinson Mid-Yorksh. Gloss., Clash, a heavy fall. 1880 Antrim & Down Gloss., Clash, a slap or blow. |
b. The sound of heavy rain, or the like.
| 1817 Coleridge Sibyl. Leaves (1862) 250 O Rain! with your dull two-fold sound, The clash hard by, and the murmur all round! 1820 Shelley Witch Atl. l, The incessant hail with stony clash Ploughed up the waters. |
2. The loud but broken sound of the collision of weapons, the striking together of cymbals, the confused ringing of an alarum bell. (Here, a clash begins like a clang, but does not result like it in a ring.)
| 1623 Fletcher Maid in Mill v. ii, I heard no words between 'em, but what their weapons spoke, clash and clatter. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 436 ¶9 Hearing the Clash of Swords. 1791 Cowper Iliad v. 190 Through the battle and the clash of spears. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 481 The clash of cymbals, and the rolling of drums. 1858 Froude Hist. Eng. III. xiii. 123 The clash of the alarm-bells came pealing far over the water. |
3. Shock of conflict, collision, hostile encounter, conflict.
| 1646 Howell Lustra Ludovici Table, A Clash 'twixt the Counsel of State and the Parlement, with the Parlements submission. 1658 Ussher Ann. 500 Upon a second clash between the two brothers..Cyzicenus won the day. 1870 Standard 19 Dec., Great tact and a delicate temper must be exerted to avoid a clash with men who are at once touchy and a trifle overbearing. |
b. The conflict or collision of contrary arguments or opinions.
| 1781 Cowper Conversation 85 The clash of arguments and jar of words. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 694 Our philosopher could not sympathize with the clash of temporary passions. 1858 J. B. Norton Topics 148 That ample discussion, which nothing but the clash and conflict of a variety of opinions can secure. 1879 Baring-Gould Germany II. 178 Rights..which were in constant clash with the rights of the citizens. |
c. A clashing or discordancy of colour. Cf. sense 4 c of the vb.
| 1935 I. Compton-Burnett A House & its Head vii. 96, I have never met such a case of diverse colours meeting without a hint of clash. 1984 Washington Post 10 June h10/1 Picasso, who liked clash and bombast, was not wholly wrong. |
4. fig. The communication of a sudden shock. Sc.
| 1709 M. Bruce Soul Confirm. 14 (Jam.) At last they give him a clash of the Kirk's craft, they cast him out of the synagogue. 1814 Scott Wav. xxxvi, ‘They tell ower a clash of terror and a clatter of comfort in their sermons, without ony sense or life.’ |
5. A sudden and heavy fall of rain, or of any moist substance dashed against a body; a large quantity or mass of anything capable of being dashed out. Sc. and north. dial.
| 1808–79 Jamieson, Clash, a heap of any heterogeneous substances. A large quantity of anything; as ‘a clash of porridge’, ‘a clash o' siller’, ‘the cow has gi'en a clash o' milk.’ 1821 Galt Ann. Parish Dalmailing 12 (Jam.) Poor old Mr. Kilfuddy..got such a clash of glar on the side of his face, that his eye was almost extinguished. 1876 Robinson Whitby Gloss. s.v., ‘Clashes of rain,’ soaking showers. |
6. Chatter, idle talk; the country talk; an item of gossip (generally malicious). Sc. and north. dial.
| 1685 G. Sinclair Satan's Invis. World (1769) 43 (Jam.) No more afraid to keep up the clash with him, than to speak to one another. 1713 Ld. Cromerty Conspiracies 88 (Jam.) The calumnies did find little belief..standing only on the clashes of some women, and a few seditious whisperers. 1718 Ramsay Christ's Kirk iii. x, Clashes, mingled aft wi' lies. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxix, ‘I was in America then..and no in the way to hear the country clashes’. ‘There was little clash about it, man’. 1876 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Clashes, news. ‘What's the clashes?’ |
b. (See quot.)
| 1880 Antrim & Down Gloss., Clash, a tell-tale. Mod. Sc. An auld mischievous clash. |
c. Comb. as clash-bag, clash-market, clash-piet, a tattler, tell-tale. Sc.
| 1825–79 Jamieson, Clash-piet, a tell-tale. 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer I. 14 ‘Ye'll do naething o' the kin', Betty. Are ye gaein' to turn clash-pyet at your age?’ |
▪ II. clash, v.
(klæʃ)
[See clash n.]
1. a. intr. To make the sound of collision described under clash n. 1.
| c 1500 Cocke Lorell's B. (1843) 13 Than men myght here the ores classhe, And on the water gave many a dasshe. 1562 Phaër æneid viii. (R.), Togither all they rusht, and pluckt with ores conflicting clasht. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 209 Arms on Armour clashing bray'd Horrible discord. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc v. 389 The iron storm of death Clash'd in the sky. 1851 Longfellow Gold. Leg. Prol., Seize the loud, vociferous bells, and Clashing, clanging, to the pavement Hurl them from their windy tower! 1876 Green Stray Stud. 357 Soldiers from the castle rode clashing through the narrow streets. |
b. trans. with object of result.
| 1667 Milton P.L. i. 668 And fierce with grasped arms Clash'd on their sounding shields the din of war. 1856 Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh (1857) 192 The mere man's voice..Went sheathed in brass, and clashed on even heights Its phrasèd thunders. 1870 Thornbury Tour Eng. I. vii. 148 Straightway the bells..instantly clash out a thanksgiving. 1871 R. Ellis Catullus lxiii. 18 Let a gong clash glad emotion. |
2. trans. To strike (things) together with this noise. † to clash quills: to wage a war of controversy with the pen.
| 1686 Amicable Accommodation 2 Being so near of a mind, we have yet been so long clashing Quills, as Adversaries. 1700 Dryden Palamon & Arcite iii. 370 At length the nodding statue clash'd his arms. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 193 ¶5, I can clash Swords when they represent a Battel. 1876 Freeman Norm. Conq. V. xxiv. 426 The ordinary freeman can no longer come in person to clash his arms, and raise his shout of ‘Yea, yea,’ or ‘Nay, nay’. |
3. a. intr. To come into violent and noisy collision.
| 1618 [see clashing ppl. a.] 1708 J. C. Compl. Collier (1845) 35 The Corves are subject to Clash and beat against the Shaft sides. 1770 Goldsm. Des. Vill. 322 Tumultuous grandeur crowds the blazing square, The rattling chariots clash, the torches glare. 1826 Scott Woodst. ii, The swords clashed smartly together..But the combat was of short duration. 1871 Alabaster Wheel of Law 146 It clashed loudly against the three bowls. |
b. without the notion of noise.
| 1715 Cheyne Philos. Princ. Nat. Relig. (J.), How many candles may send out their light, without clashing upon one another; which argues the smallness of the parts of light. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. §1. 236 These two beams [of light] will clash and extinguish each other. 1871 ― Fragm. Sc. (1879) I. i. 7 Two planets clash and come to rest. |
4. a. To come into, or engage in, conflict (with, against).
| 1622 Bacon Hen. VII (J.), Neither was there any queen-mother who might clash with his counsellors for authority. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. 892 When men had Clashed a good while, Doing and Suffering Injury, the Greater part..at length Compounded the business amongst themselves. 1719 Young Busiris iii. i. (1757) 45 When nations against nations clash in arms. 1820 Hazlitt Lect. Dram. Lit. 11 It is not possible that the learned professors and the reading public should clash. |
b. fig. To come into conflict; to conflict, be at variance; to interfere, be incompatible; to disagree (with). (The chief current use.)
| 1646 J. Hall Horæ Vac. 98 Their thoughts running parallel are not like to clash. 1653 H. More Conject. Cabbal. (1713) 234 It does not at all clash with what we have already set down. 1706 Z. Cradock Serm. Charity (1740) 13 Their interests would no longer clash and interfere. 1827 J. Powell Devises (ed. 3) II. 37 His lordship's statement..may seem to clash with Lord Eldon's. 1853 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. xvii. 215 It is with this intense passion for being that the idea of death clashes. 1863 H. Cox Instit. i. ix. 220 The power thus assumed by the House of Lords clashes with the fundamental rights of the people. 1878 Black Green Past. xxi. 169 Whenever her wishes clashed with his. |
c. Of colours: to go badly together, to kill each other.
| 1894 [see clashing ppl. a. d.]. |
5. To strike in conflict, to attack with clashing or violence. (Cf. dash.) a. intr. with at, against, into, etc.
| 1650 B. Discollim. 43, I suppose his intent therein is..to disparage it, having clash'd at it divers times in his Tract. 1852 Tennyson Ode Wellington vi. 21 He..Against the myriads of Assaye Clash'd with his fiery few and won. 1875 Farrar Silence & V. iii. 61 Ninety years after her handful of heroes had clashed into the countless hosts of Persia and routed them. |
b. trans.
| 1685 F. Spence House of Medici 420 Crimes..that did not directly clash the authority of the Holy See..were neither call'd to account, nor punish'd. 1872 Tennyson Gareth & Lynette (1878) 387 Till at length Sir Gareth's brand Clash'd his, and brake it utterly to the hilt. |
6. trans. To strike (a person, etc.) heavily with anything that produces a clashing sound, e.g. with a pailful of liquid. Sc.
| 1508 Dunbar Flyting 232 Sum claschis the, sum cloddis the on the cutis. 1807 Stagg Poems 12 Some there war at clash't their keytes Till they war fairly yether'd Wi' drink that day. |
7. To throw (something) violently, so that it strikes with a clashing sound; nearly = dash. Often with down. Sc.
| 1805 A. Scott Poems 178 (Jam.) Heavy dashes against me clashes Of sleet and rain that most fiercely blow. 1807 Stagg Poems 91 At Seymie's chafts she clash'd The whart, the glass at Jack she dash'd. Mod. Sc. They clashed pailfuls of water on the walls. |
8. To bang, slam (a door, etc.). Obs. exc. dial.
| a 1637 Lisle tr. Heliodorus' Hist. (N.), Then Thisbe, as though some man thence made a breach, Cries out, th' adulter's gone, and clasht the dore. 1825–79 Jamieson, Clash, to bang a door or shut it with violence. ‘I clash'd the dore in his face’ Roxb. 1876 Robinson Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.), Clash, to clap heavily as a banged door. |
9. intr. To move with violence and noise. dial.
| 1876 Robinson Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.), Clashing, said of the jolting of a carriage. ‘We com clashing alang’. |
10. intr. To talk recklessly or maliciously; to gossip. Sc.
| 1697 Cleland Poems 98 (Jam.), I will not stay to clash and quibble; About your nignayes, I'll not nibble. 1722–30 Ramsay Fables x. Caterpillar & Ant, To stand up clashing with a thing, A creeping thing, the like of thee. 1784 Burns Welcome to Illegit. Child iii, The mair they talk I'm kent the better, E'en let them clash. 1876 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Clash, to noise in the gossiping way. 1880 Antrim & Down Gloss., ‘He went and clashed on me’. |
11. to clash up (Sc.): (cf. to knock up.)
| 1700 Sir A. Balfour Lett. on Travelling 52 (Jam.) Some few rooms clacht up against the face of a rock, like a bird cage upon the side of a wall. 1825–79 Jamieson, Clash up, to cause one object to adhere to another, by means of mortar, or otherwise. It generally implies the idea of projection on the part of the object adhering. |