Click

Click is a term with several related but distinct meanings. As a sound, a click is a short, sharp noise produced by mechanical or electronic devices when a switch or button is activated. As a verb, to click means to press a mouse button or touch the screen in order to select or activate an item; the resulting event is known as a click.

In computing and digital interfaces, a click typically triggers commands or navigates interfaces; common variations include a left-click, right-click, double-click, and click-and-drag. The concept extends to software events called click events in graphical user interface frameworks and in web development, where handlers respond to mouse or touch input.

In linguistics, click refers to a family of consonants produced with a backward or forward closure mechanism that creates a suction or a release sound; such sounds appear in many Southern African languages such as Xhosa and Zulu, and in Khoisan languages.

In popular culture, Click is the title of a 2006 American fantasy comedy film in which a man can control life by using a remote control that can pause, fast-forward, or rewind time. The word also appears as the title of various songs and albums by different artists, reflecting its common metaphorical sense of choice, speed, or interaction.

The term is also used in marketing to describe user engagement measured by clicks, such as click-through rates, and in technology discussions to refer to click-based input methods and accessibility considerations.