noun

1. Now Chiefly Dial.
   1. a piece of cloth or leather for patching
   2. any piece of cloth, esp. one for cleaning; rag
2. a blow, with or as with the hand; rap
3. ☆ Informal
   1. a hard hit, as in baseball
   2. power or influence; esp., political power
4. Archery a form of long-distance shooting in which archers aim at a large target laid out on the ground with a flag in the center

Etymology: ME cloute < OE clut (akin to MLowG klūt, clod of earth), orig., lump of something, hence, piece of cloth, patch: for IE base see climb

transitive verb

1. Now Chiefly Dial. to patch or mend coarsely
2. Informal to strike, as with the hand
3. Informal to hit (a ball) hard

Etymology: ME clutien < the n.