clanker

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

Something that makes a clanking noise.
A robot or artificial intelligence.
A person who uses automated technology or generative AI.
A fib.

Pronunciation

/ˈklæŋkəː/ [ˈkʰl̥æŋkəː] /ˈklaŋkəː/ En-au-clanker.ogg /ˈklæŋkɚ/ [ˈkʰl̥æŋkɚ] ~ [ˈkʰl̥æŋkɹ̩] /ˈkleɪ̯ŋkɚ/ [kʰl̥eɪ̯ŋkɚ] ~ [kʰl̥eɪ̯ŋkɹ̩] /ˈklɛ̃ŋkɚ/ [kʰl̥ɛ̃ŋkɚ] ~ [kʰl̥ɛ̃ŋkɹ̩]

Word forms

clanker clankers

Etymology

From clank + -er, onomatopoeic. The sense meaning "robot" appears in science fiction at least as early as 1958. Its broader popular use increased on social media beginning around 2024, due to the AI boom. In this wave of usage, it was especially influenced by the word's appearance in the Star Wars franchise, particularly the 2005 video game Star Wars: Republic Commando. In Star Wars, the term was used towards B1-series battle droids, which were humanoid robots that were manufactured for the sole purpose of fighting in armed conflicts. Their nickname of "clanker" stems from the fact that they would frequently make clanking noises any time they moved around due to being cheaply mass-produced.

Synonyms

cogsucker rust monkey tinskin wireback alternative fact anti-fact invention bluff bollocks bullshit canard cap chin clanker contradiction cram disinformation fabrication falsehood falsification fib flam goof hoax hummer inveracity inverity jive lie load of bull load of crap load of shit mendacity misinformation mistruth nonsense nontruth pile of crap pile of shit pork pie porker porky prevarication red flag rubbish story swack-up tall tale terminological inexactitude untruism untruth whopper wisker yanker yed

Related words

clanka

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