What does claxon mean?
A claxon is a loud, harsh-sounding electric horn used chiefly as a warning signal on ships, submarines, factories, and early automobiles. The word originated as the trademark of an American horn manufactured in the early twentieth century, its name echoing the Greek word for a shrieking sound, and it was so widely adopted that it passed into general use as a common noun — first spelled 'klaxon' after the brand, later also 'claxon' without the K. Today the word evokes urgency and alarm: a claxon does not gently notify but rudely demands attention, which makes it a vivid choice in writing about emergencies, military life, and old-fashioned machinery. It can also function as a verb, meaning to sound such a horn, as in 'taxis claxoned in the traffic.'
A loud electric horn or warning device producing a harsh, penetrating blast.
"A claxon announced the start of the drill."
Often used of ship, submarine, or factory alarms.
To sound a claxon or similarly loud horn.
"Motorists claxoned furiously at the blockade."
Informal; less frequent than the noun.
Regular plural.
"The factory's claxons all went off at once."
The word claxon began as a single company's brand name — and became so useful that the English language simply claimed it for itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of claxon
Claxon derives from the Klaxon, a loud electric horn patented in the United States around the turn of the twentieth century; the brand name was coined from the Greek verb klazō, meaning to scream or shriek. Because the horn was so widely installed on cars and ships, its trade name became genericized into ordinary English, appearing both in the original K-spelling and, by a process of respelling, as 'claxon'. The word is thus a rare everyday example of a trademark turned common noun.
Related word forms
How claxon is actually used
Register is informal to neutral; the word carries an urgent, jarring connotation. The verb use is less common than the noun. In British usage especially, 'klaxon' (spelled with a K) remains widespread alongside 'claxon'.
Easily confused with claxon
Klaxon is the original trademarked brand name, while claxon is the genericized English word for any similar loud horn.