An archaic English verb meaning to call, name, or summon someone or something.
From Old English clipian/cleopian, from Proto-Germanic *klappōn. Related to 'clap,' the word originally meant to strike or sound, then evolved to mean 'to call out' or 'to name,' gradually becoming obsolete by the 16th century.
Poets like Chaucer loved this word—'cleped' appears all over Middle English literature, and every time you read it, you're hearing voices from 700 years ago trying to give names and identities to their characters.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.