The word 掌声 (zhǎngshēng) is formed by combining two concrete characters to create a figurative meaning. The first character, 掌 (zhǎng), means "palm of the hand", and the second, 声 (shēng), means "sound". Literally, it denotes the "sound of palms", directly picturing the action and resulting noise of hands clapping together. This straightforward combination visually and audibly evokes the concept of applause, where the physical source and the sound it produces merge to form a single, immediate idea.