A click as a noun is a small, sharp sound. It is usually metallic, although it can be made against other hard things. This is the common meaning I found and it is usually accompanied by an adjective like sharp, faint, or loud. As a verb it is usually to make the clicking sound. However, there are also other meanings. The OED listed that it could mean to become pregnant or to get killed.

When you meet someone you immediately get along with it is said that the two of you “click.” I found this usage by looking for he|she|they|we|I [click]and found it in 2009, number 79. However, most uses found were about someone clicking something.

Click overall has shown a steady increase in usage. Noun and verb follow those results.

Collocates between 1880-1900 and 1980-2000.

Nearby Nouns:

1880-1900 1980-2000

1	INSTRUMENT	1	MOUSE
2	HAMMERS	2	PHONE
3	BILLIARD	3	BUTTON
4	HOOFS	4	MACHINE
5	SNOWSHOES	5	TAB
6	TELEGRAPH	6	SCREEN
7	PISTOLS	7	LIGHT
8	BALL	8	RADIO
9	GUN-LOCK	9	COMPUTER
10	INSTANT	10	LINE

It used to be strictly the sound that was used. The balls clicked together or the hammers clicked. But this list shows that today we click a mouse or click on something on the computer.

Nearby Verbs:

1880-1900 1980-2000

1	UTTERED	1	'S
2	FELL	2	GET
3	MET	3	HAS
4	SOUNDED	4	GO
5	CAME	5	HAVE
6	STOOD	6	'RE
7	WENT	7	DO
8	HEARD	8	OPEN
9	CLOSED	9	HANGS
10	FOLLOWED	10	'D

Again, the sound is used at the beginning. They heard a click, they came clicking. Now we "go click" something although we still hear the click of the phone as we hang up.

Adjectives:

1880-1900 1980-2000

1	SHARP	1	OPEN
2	LITTLE	2	SHUT
3	FAINT	3	DEAD
		4	AUDIBLE
		5	NEW
		6	METALLIC
		7	ANSWERING
		8	OTHER
		9	REMOTE
		10	SATISFYING

Click wasn’t used much in the first century but usage hasn’t changed much otherwise. From 1880 to 1900 the adjectives all relate to sound. In 1980 to 2000 there is still sound, but there is also “click open” or “click shut”. I was curious about dead, and found that all uses there were referring to the telephone clicking dead.