clout

[ klout ]

noun

1. a blow, especially with the hand; cuff:

   The bully gave him a painful clout on the head.

2. Informal. pull; strong influence; muscle, especially political power:

   a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall.

3. Baseball. a long hit, especially an extra-base hit:

   A hard clout to deep center field drove in the winning run.

4. Archery.
   1. the mark or target shot at, especially in long-distance shooting.
   2. a shot that hits the mark.
5. Also called clout nail. a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood, having a short shank with a broad head.
6. Archaic.
   1. a patch or piece of cloth or other material used to mend something.
   2. any worthless piece of cloth; rag.
   3. an article of clothing (usually used contemptuously).

verb (used with object)

1. to strike, especially with the hand; cuff.
2. Archaic.
   1. to bandage.
   2. to patch; mend.

clout

/ klaʊt /

noun

1. informal.
   a blow with the hand or a hard object
2. power or influence, esp in politics
3. archery
   1. the target used in long-distance shooting
   2. the centre of this target
   3. a shot that hits the centre
4. Also calledclout nail a short, flat-headed nail used esp for attaching sheet metal to wood
5. dialect.
   1. a piece of cloth

      a dish clout

   2. a garment
   3. a patch

verb

1. informal.
   to give a hard blow to, esp with the hand
2. to patch with a piece of cloth or leather

Derived Forms

• ˈclouter, noun

Other Words From

• clout·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clout¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English clūt “piece of cloth or metal”; cognate with Middle Low German klūte, Old Norse klūtr

Word History and Origins

Origin of clout¹

Old English clūt piece of metal or cloth, clūtian to patch (C14: to strike with the hand); related to Dutch kluit a lump, and to clod

Example Sentences

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who said he plans to leave before the main event, was also in the firing line with Paul calling him a "clout chaser".

From BBC

But she lost political clout as property and retail theft grew more brazen and homeless encampments sprouted beyond downtown’s borders and through all corners of the city.

From Los Angeles Times

"In terms of sport, this is a fantastic opportunity for India to show it wants cricket to flourish, rather than saying 'no, we don't fancy going to Pakistan'. Every one of the big nations need to travel to all of the other countries in order to grow the game and in that respect, India has too much clout."

From BBC

There’s also an underlying feeling that Azerbaijan doesn’t have the diplomatic or financial clout to secure a significant agreement in Baku.

From BBC

He bemoaned the lack of political clout wielded by Latinos in L.A., especially when compared with the Black community.

From Los Angeles Times