1796, "to make the sound of a cork being pulled from a bottle;" imitative. This was the main sense through most of 19c. Meaning "to hit, strike" is attested from 1940s, along with meaning "old worn-out machine."
tv. to strike someone or something. : The branch clunked the roof as it fell.
n. a hit; the sound of a hit. : I heard a clunk on the roof. Must be reindeer.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
When skeletons are meant to tumble out of the family closet, though, they clunk.