Past tense of 'clap': to applaud by striking your hands together, or to place something suddenly.
From Old English 'clappan,' of imitative origin—the word sounds like the action it describes. The metaphorical sense of 'to place quickly' developed later, and 'clapped out' emerged in British slang meaning exhausted.
Applause itself is ancient—humans have been clapping for thousands of years—but the word 'clap' is onomatopoetic, meaning the sound created the word! That's why 'clap' sounds exactly like what you're doing.
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