鼓掌
gǔzhǎng · HSK 5
clap one's hands
👏 鼓 = drum + 掌 = palm; palms drumming together = applause
鼓 means drum (also 'to beat'), 掌 means palm of the hand. Beating your palms together is the literal compound for clapping. Etymology: 掌 contains 手 (hand) under 尚, marking the hand-related meaning.
鼓 — 壴 (drum on stand) + 攴 (hand with stick)
鼓 is a pictograph showing a drum mounted on a stand (壴) being struck by a hand holding a stick (攴/支). It originally depicted the act of beating a drum, and the meaning naturally extended from the instrument itself to the verb 'to beat, to rouse, to encourage.'