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clout
Use
Clout
in a sentence
clout
/
klaʊt
/
Show Spelled
[
klout
]
Show IPA
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.
a.
the mark or target shot at, especially in long-distance shooting.
b.
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.
a.
a patch or piece of cloth or other material used to mend something.
b.
any worthless piece of cloth; rag.
c.
an article of clothing (usually used contemptuously).
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verb (used with object)
7.
to strike, especially with the hand; cuff.
8.
Archaic.
a.
to bandage.
b.
to patch; mend.
00:10
Clout
is one of our favorite verbs.
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skedaddle
. Does it mean:
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kibitz
. Does it mean:
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fletcherise
. Does it mean:
to run away hurriedly; flee.
to spend time idly; loaf.
to spend time idly; loaf.
chat, to converse
to bark; yelp.
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.
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Origin:
before 900;
Middle English;
Old English
clūt
piece of cloth or metal; cognate with
Middle Low German
klūte,
Old Norse
klūtr
Related forms
clout·er,
noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To
clout
Collins
World English Dictionary
clout
(klaʊt)
—
n
1.
informal
a blow with the hand or a hard object
2.
power or influence, esp in politics
3.
archery
a. the target used in long-distance shooting
b. the centre of this target
c. a shot that hits the centre
4.
Also called:
clout nail
a short, flat-headed nail used esp for attaching sheet metal to wood
5.
dialect
(
Brit
)
a. a piece of cloth:
a dish clout
b. a garment
c. a patch
—
vb
6.
informal
to give a hard blow to, esp with the hand
7.
to patch with a piece of cloth or leather
[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
]
'clouter
—
n
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
clout
O.E. clut "lump of something," also "patch of cloth put over a hole to mend it," from P.Gmc. *klutaz. Sense of "a blow" is from early 14c., but the metaphor is obscure. Sense of "personal influence" is 1958.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
His opponents argue that regional deals can strengthen exporters' political
clout
, so raising the odds of freer global trade.
Many of his original followers are now successful businessmen, and their
political
clout
is increasing.
They have the
clout
to get past the top hurdle that films face to make money:
distribution.
Exchanges will have the same purchasing
clout
as big businesses and will give
consumers a choice of plans to fit their needs.
If it moved further to the periphery, its
clout
in negotiations would be further reduced.
If his ideas gain
clout
within the church, that could greatly improve the lot of the poor.
If
clout
is the new currency, in other words, it already has its share of counterfeiters.
If the merging middlemen can gain some market
clout
, they might be able to retain their early advantage.
Faculty should use their collective
clout
, such as it is, to reduce administrative dependence on these ratings.
He says that as blacks gain financial and political
clout
, the need to integrate decreases.
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Matching Quote
"I became the Incredible Shrinking Mother the year they started junior high. If our relationship today depended on physical
clout
, I would have about the same influence with them that the republic of Liechtenstein has on world politics."
-Mary Kay Blakely
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Synonyms
influence
authority
standing
prestige
strike
weight
smack
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Synonym Game
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