"clat" means clat has two distinct senses in british regional dialect. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
clat
Clat has two distinct senses in British regional dialect.
Seen in the wild
Firecrawl: CLAT - Wikipedia
If an [internal link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/CLAT&namespace=0) led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
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Firecrawl: Common Law Admission Test - Wikipedia
CLAT was first introduced in 2008 as a centralized entrance examination for admission to the National Law Schools/Universities in India.[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Law_Admission_Test#cite_note-1) [NLU…
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Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK
Clat has two distinct senses in British regional dialect. As a noun it can mean a clod of earth or lump of clay. In another regional sense (particularly in Northern England) it refers to an irksome, tedious task — something that has to be done but is unpleasant. Both senses are dialectal and largely obsolete outside specific localities. The word's rough, abrupt sound mirrors its meaning: something clunky, unpleasant, and heavy.
Clearing the clay clats off the path after the flood was a miserable clat of a job.
Origin: Likely related to Old Norse 'klat' or similar Germanic forms meaning clod, lump, or sticky mass. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
For parents
"clat" means clat has two distinct senses in british regional dialect. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
For ESL learners
"clat" is informal English meaning clat has two distinct senses in british regional dialect. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "clat has two distinct senses in british regional dialect" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "clat" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK
(UK, regional) irksome task.
Heard in the wild
“If an [internal link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/CLAT&namespace=0) led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.”
“CLAT was first introduced in 2008 as a centralized entrance examination for admission to the National Law Schools/Universities in India.[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Law_Admission_Test#cite_note-1) [NLU Delhi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Law_University,_Delhi "National Law University, Delhi") administers its own entrance exam, the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET).”
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Show 1 more dictionary-style sense (imported)
UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
A clod of earth.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "clat" (C)
Class Dayclassfellowclassification yardclassmanclass secretaryclasswiseclatfartclatterclattyClaude Codeclawbackclaw off
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- clatfart74%
A British regional dialect word for gossip or idle chatter — the kind of pointless, noisy talk that spreads rumors. The 'clat' element relates to clattering or clacking; 'fart' adds contempt for the worthlessness of the talk. A wonderfully descriptive compound that captures gossip's noisy emptiness.
- clarty73%
(Britain, Northern England, and, Scotland, _, dialect) Sticky and foul; dirty, filthy, muddy.
- clart72%
(now, _, Scotland, northern England) Sticky mud, mire or filth.