Nearby Words
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.
EXPANDAlso called clout nail. a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood, having a short shank with a broad head.
6.
COLLAPSEArchaic.
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).
verb (used with object)
7.
to strike, especially with the hand; cuff.
8.
Archaic.
a.
to bandage.
b.
to patch; mend.
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Clout
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to bark; yelp. |
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English clūt piece of cloth or metal; cognate with Middle Low German klūte, Old Norse klūtr
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. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To clout
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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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
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