Claptrap

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Claptrap \Clap"trap`\ (kl[a^]p"tr[a^]p`), n.
     1. A contrivance for clapping in theaters. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A trick or device to gain applause, especially pretentious
        but empty rhetoric; humbug.


        [1913 Webster +PJC]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Claptrap \Clap"trap`\, a.
     Contrived for the purpose of making a show, or gaining
     applause; deceptive; unreal.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  claptrap
       n : pompous or pretentious talk or writing [syn: {bombast}, {fustian},
            {rant}, {blah}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  100 Moby Thesaurus words for "claptrap":
     absurdity, amphigory, argument, argument by analogy,
     argumentum ad baculum, argumentum ad captandum,
     argumentum ad hominem, babble, babblement, bad case, balderdash,
     balls, baloney, begging the question, bibble-babble, blabber,
     blague, blather, bombast, bosh, bull, bullshit, bunk, bunkum,
     circular argument, crap, crowd-pleasing argument, double-talk,
     drivel, drool, empty words, eyewash, fallacy, fiddle-faddle,
     fiddledeedee, flam, flapdoodle, flimflam, flummery, folderol,
     formal fallacy, fudge, fustian, gabble, galimatias, gammon, gibber,
     gibberish, gibble-gabble, gobbledygook, hocus-pocus, hogwash, hoke,
     hokum, hooey, humbug, humbuggery, hysteron proteron,
     insincere argument, jabber, jargon, jiggery-pokery,
     logical fallacy, malarkey, material fallacy, mere rhetoric,
     moonshine, mumbo jumbo, narrishkeit, niaiserie, non sequitur,
     nonsense, pack of nonsense, palaver, paralogism, petitio principii,
     philosophism, prate, prattle, pseudosyllogism, rant, rigamarole,
     rigmarole, rodomontade, rubbish, skimble-skamble, solecism,
     sophism, sophistry, stuff and nonsense, stultiloquence, trash,
     trumpery, twaddle, twattle, twiddle-twaddle, vaporing,
     verbal fallacy, waffling, weak point