applause

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The act of applauding; approbation and praise publicly expressed by the clapping of hands, stamping or tapping of the feet, acclamation, huzzas, or other means; marked commendation.

   A few days before, the adulations and applauses of a nation were sounding in her [Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma's] ears, and now she was come to this!

2. 2
   verb

   To applaud.

   But (which had ſcarrefide our wounds, if wounded, with the Balme / Of her ſweete Preſence, ſo applaus’d as in Sea-ſtormes a Calme) / Her royall-ſelfe, Elizabeth our Soueraigne lawfull Queene, / In magnanimious Maieſtie amidſt her Troupes was ſeene.

3. 3
   noun

   a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂-? Proto-Indo-European *pel-? Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-u-h₂- Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-u-d- Latin plaudō Latin applaudō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin applaususbor. English applause From Latin applausus, from applaudō (“to strike against, to applaud”) (whence applaud).