What does clicker mean?
A clicker is a small handheld device that produces a sharp clicking sound when pressed. Its most familiar modern uses are threefold: as a wireless remote for advancing slides during a presentation, as a tally counter for keeping track of counts — of people entering a venue, for instance — and as a training tool in which a trainer clicks to precisely mark a desired behavior, usually followed by a reward, a technique known as clicker training. The word derives from 'click', imitative of the sound itself, and its meaning has expanded naturally alongside the devices it names. Informal in register but widely understood across British and American English, 'clicker' is a practical word for everyday technology and a key term in modern animal-behavior science. Its connotations are neutral and functional, evoking efficiency and precision rather than emotion.
A small handheld device that makes a clicking sound, especially one used to advance presentation slides, count items, or mark behavior in animal training.
"He kept the clicker in his pocket so he could change slides without returning to the laptop."
Most commonly refers today to a presentation remote or a dog-training tool.
A person or thing that clicks, or (dated British slang) a foreman or overseer in certain trades.
"The old factory records referred to the floor's clicker, who supervised the pieceworkers."
This sense is largely historical and regional to Britain.
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple devices or multiple people/things that click.
"The conference organizers handed out clickers to every presenter."
The same little device that advances your PowerPoint slides is also the secret weapon of dog trainers — and both work because of one satisfying 'click'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clicker
Clicker is formed from the verb 'click', which arose in English in the late sixteenth century as an imitation of a short, sharp sound — making it an onomatopoeic root. The agentive suffix '-er' was added to denote a thing or person that clicks, producing a noun attested from at least the nineteenth century. Related onomatopoeic words include 'clack' and 'tick', which capture similar percussive sounds. As new clicking devices were invented — tally counters, presentation remotes, and animal-training tools — the word expanded to cover them all.
Related word forms
How clicker is actually used
Primarily informal to neutral register. In British English, 'clicker' can also be an old slang term for a foreman or supervisor in certain trades, though this sense is now rare. The dominant modern senses relate to devices: presentation remotes, tally counters, and animal-training tools.
Easily confused with clicker
Clickbait is sensational online content designed to attract clicks, whereas a clicker is a physical device that makes clicking sounds.
A counter is the general term for any tallying device; a clicker is specifically the handheld button-pressed type that clicks.