Clergeon (klẽr"jŭn) noun [ French, dim. of clerc . See Clerk .] A chorister boy. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Clergial adjective Learned; erudite; clerical. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Clergical adjective Of or pertaining to the clergy; clerical; clerkily; learned. [ Obsolete] Milton.

Clergy noun [ Middle English clergie , clergi , clerge , Old French clergie , French clergie (fr. clerc clerc, from Latin clericus priest) confused with Old French clergié , French clergé , from Late Latin clericatus office of priest, monastic life, from Latin clericus priest, Late Latin scholar, clerc. Both the Old French words meant clergy, in sense 1, the former having also sense 2. See Clerk .]

1. The body of men set apart, by due ordination, to the service of God, in the Christian church, in distinction from the laity; in England, usually restricted to the ministers of the Established Church. Hooker.

2. Learning; also, a learned profession. [ Obsolete]

Sophictry . . . rhetoric, and other cleargy .
Guy of Warwick.

Put their second sons to learn some clergy .
State Papers (1515).

3. The privilege or benefit of clergy.

If convicted of a clergyable felony, he is entitled equally to his clergy after as before conviction.
Blackstone.

Benefit of clergy (Eng., Law) , the exemption of the persons of clergymen from criminal process before a secular judge -- a privilege which was extended to all who could read, such persons being, in the eye of the law, clerici , or clerks. This privilege was abridged and modified by various statutes, and finally abolished in the reign of George IV. (1827). -- Regular clergy , Secular clergy See Regular , noun , and Secular , adjective

Clergyable adjective Entitled to, or admitting, the benefit of clergy; as, a clergyable felony. Blackstone.

Clergyman noun ; plural Clergymen . An ordained minister; a man regularly authorized to preach the gospel, and administer its ordinances; in England usually restricted to a minister of the Established Church.

Cleric noun [ Anglo-Saxon , from Latin clericus . See Clerk .] A clerk, a clergyman. [ R.] Bp. Horsley.

Cleric adjective Same as Clerical .

Clerical adjective [ Late Latin clericalis . See Clerk .]
1. Of or pertaining to the clergy; suitable for the clergy. "A clerical education." Burke.

2. Of or relating to a clerk or copyist, or to writing. " Clerical work." E. Everett.

A clerical error , an error made in copying or writing.

Clericalism noun An excessive devotion to the interests of the sacerdotal order; undue influence of the clergy; sacerdotalism.

Clericity noun The state of being a clergyman.

Clerisy noun [ Late Latin clericia . See Clergy .]
1. The literati, or well educated class.

2. The clergy, or their opinions, as opposed to the laity.

Clerk (klẽrk; in Eng. klärk; 277) noun [ Either Old French clerc , from Latin clericus a priest, or Anglo-Saxon clerc , cleric , clerk, priest, from Latin clericus , from Greek klhriko`s belonging to the clergy, from klh^ros lot, allotment, clergy; confer Deut. xviii. 2. Confer Clergy .]
1. A clergyman or ecclesiastic. [ Obsolete]

All persons were styled clerks that served in the church of Christ.
Ayliffe.

2. A man who could read; a scholar; a learned person; a man of letters. [ Obsolete] "Every one that could read . . . being accounted a clerk ." Blackstone.

He was no great clerk , but he was perfectly well versed in the interests of Europe.
Burke.

3. A parish officer, being a layman who leads in reading the responses of the Episcopal church service, and otherwise assists in it. [ Eng.] Hook.

And like unlettered clerk still cry "Amen".
Shak.

4. One employed to keep records or accounts; a scribe; an accountant; as, the clerk of a court; a town clerk .

The clerk of the crown . . . withdrew the bill.
Strype.

» In some cases, clerk is synonymous with secretary . A clerk is always an officer subordinate to a higher officer, board, corporation, or person; whereas a secretary may be either a subordinate or the head of an office or department.

5. An assistant in a shop or store. [ U. S.]

Clerk-ale noun A feast for the benefit of the parish clerk. [ Eng.] T. Warton.

Clerkless adjective Unlearned. [ Obsolete] E. Waterhouse.

Clerklike adjective Scholarlike. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Clerkliness noun Scholarship. [ Obsolete]

Clerkly adjective Of or pertaining to a clerk. Cranmer.

Clerkly adverb In a scholarly manner. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Clerkship noun State, quality, or business of a clerk.

Cleromancy noun [ Greek ... lot + -mancy ; confer French cléromancie .] A divination by throwing dice or casting lots.

Cleronomy noun [ Greek ... inheritance + ... to possess.] Inheritance; heritage.

Clerstory noun See Clearstory .

Clever adjective [ Origin uncertain. Confer Middle English cliver eager, Anglo-Saxon clyfer (in comp.) cloven; or clifer a claw, perhaps connected with English cleave to divide, split, the meaning of English clever perhaps coming from the idea of grasping, seizing (with the mind).]
1. Possessing quickness of intellect, skill, dexterity, talent, or adroitness; expert.

Though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the seventeenth century, there were only two great creative minds.
Macaulay.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever .
C. Kingsley.

2. Showing skill or adroitness in the doer or former; as, a clever speech; a clever trick. Byron.

3. Having fitness, propriety, or suitableness.

"T would sound more clever
To me and to my heirs forever.
Swift.

4. Well-shaped; handsome. "The girl was a tight, clever wench as any was." Arbuthnot.

5. Good-natured; obliging. [ U. S.]

Syn. -- See Smart .

Cleverish adjective Somewhat clever. [ R.]

Cleverly adverb In a clever manner.

Never was man so clever absurd.
C. Smart.

Cleverness noun The quality of being clever; skill; dexterity; adroitness.

Syn. -- See Ingenuity .

Clevis noun [ Confer Cleave to adhere, Clavel .] A piece of metal bent in the form of an oxbow, with the two ends perforated to receive a pin, used on the end of the tongue of a plow, wagen, etc., to attach it to a draft chain, whiffletree, etc.; -- called also clavel , clevy .

Clew (klū), Clue noun [ Middle English clewe , clowe , clue , Anglo-Saxon cleowen , cliwen , clywe ball of thread; akin to Dutch kluwen , Old High German chliwa , chliuwa , G. dim. kleuel , knäuel , and perch. to Latin gluma hull, husk, Sanskrit glaus sort of ball or tumor. Perch. akin to English claw . √26. Confer Knawel .]
1. A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself.

Untwisting his deceitful clew .
Spenser.

2. That which guides or directs one in anything of a doubtful or intricate nature; that which gives a hint in the solution of a mystery.

The clew , without which it was perilous to enter the vast and intricate maze of countinental politics, was in his hands.
Macaulay.

3. (Nautical) (a.) A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore-and- aft sail. (b.) A loop and thimbles at the corner of a sail. (c.) A combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock is suspended.

Clew garnet (Nautical) , one of the ropes by which the clews of the courses of square-rigged vessels are drawn up to the lower yards. -- Clew line (Nautical) , a rope by which a clew of one of the smaller square sails, as topsail, topgallant sail, or royal, is run up to its yard. -- Clew-line block (Nautical) , The block through which a clew line reeves. See Illust. of Block .

Clew transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle & verbal noun Clewing .] [ Confer Dutch kluwenen . See Clew , noun ]
1. To direct; to guide, as by a thread. [ Obsolete]

Direct and clew me out the way to happiness.
Beau. && Fl.

2. (Nautical) To move of draw (a sail or yard) by means of the clew garnets, clew lines, etc.; esp. to draw up the clews of a square sail to the yard.

To clew down (Nautical) , to force (a yard) down by hauling on the clew lines. -- To clew up (Nautical) , to draw (a sail) up to the yard, as for furling.

Cliché noun [ French cliché , from clicher to stereotype.] A stereotype plate or any similar reproduction of ornament, or lettering, in relief.

Cliché casting , a mode of obtaining an impression from a die or woodcut, or the like, by striking it suddenly upon metal which has been fused and is just becoming solid; also, the casting so obtained.

Click (klĭk) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Clicked (klĭkt); present participle & verbal noun Clicking .] [ Prob. an onomatopoetic word: confer Old French cliquier . See Clack , and confer Clink , Clique .] To make a slight, sharp noise (or a succession of such noises), as by gentle striking; to tick.

The varnished clock that clicked behind the door.
Goldsmith.

Click transitive verb
1. To move with the sound of a click.

She clicked back the bolt which held the window sash.
Thackeray.

2. To cause to make a clicking noise, as by striking together, or against something.

[ Jove] clicked all his marble thumbs.
Ben Jonson.

When merry milkmaids click the latch.
Tennyson.

Click noun
1. A slight sharp noise, such as is made by the cocking of a pistol.

2. A kind of articulation used by the natives of Southern Africa, consisting in a sudden withdrawal of the end or some other portion of the tongue from a part of the mouth with which it is in contact, whereby a sharp, clicking sound is produced. The sounds are four in number, and are called cerebral, palatal, dental, and lateral clicks or clucks, the latter being the noise ordinarily used in urging a horse forward.

Click transitive verb [ Middle English kleken , clichen . Confer Clutch .] To snatch. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Click noun [ Confer 4th Click , and Old French clique latch.]
1. A detent, pawl, or ratchet, as that which catches the cogs of a ratchet wheel to prevent backward motion. See Illust. of Ratched wheel .

2. The latch of a door. [ Prov. Eng.]

Click beetle (Zoology) See Elater .

Clicker noun
1. One who stands before a shop door to invite people to buy. [ Low, Eng.]

2. (Print.) One who as has charge of the work of a companionship.

Clicket noun [ Old French cliquet the latch of a door. See 5th Click .]
1. The knocker of a door. [ Prov. Eng.]

2. A latch key. [ Eng.] Chaucer.

Clicky adjective Resembling a click; abounding in clicks. "Their strange clicky language." The Century.

Clidastes noun [ New Latin , probably from Greek klei`s key.] (Paleon.) A genus of extinct marine reptiles, allied to the Mosasaurus. See Illust. in Appendix.

Cliency noun State of being a client.

Client noun [ Latin cliens , -emtis , for cluens , one who hears (in relation to his protector), a client, from Latin cluere to be named or called; akin to Greek ... to hear, Sanskrit çry , and English loud : confer French client . See Loud .]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) A citizen who put himself under the protection of a man of distinction and influence, who was called his patron.

2. A dependent; one under the protection of another.

I do think they are your friends and clients ,
And fearful to disturb you.
B. Jonson.

3. (Law) One who consults a legal adviser, or submits his cause to his management.

Clientage noun
1. State of being client.

2. A body of clients. E. Everett.

Cliental adjective Of or pertaining to a client.

A dependent and cliental relation.
Burke.

I sat down in the cliental chair.
Dickens.

Cliented adjective Supplied with clients. [ R.]

The least cliented pettifiggers.
R. Carew.

Clientelage noun See Clientele , noun , 2.

Clientele noun [ Latin clientela : confer French clientèle .]
1. The condition or position of a client; clientship . [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

2. The clients or dependents of a nobleman of patron.

3. The persons who make habitual use of the services of another person; one's clients, collectively; as, the clientele of a lawyer, doctor, notary, etc.

Clientship noun Condition of a client; state of being under the protection of a patron. Dryden.