clout
clout definition
clout (klo̵ut)
noun
- Now Chiefly Dial.
- a piece of cloth or leather for patching
- any piece of cloth, esp. one for cleaning; rag
- a blow, with or as with the hand; rap
- ☆ Informal
- a hard hit, as in baseball
- power or influence; esp., political power
- 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
- Now Chiefly Dial. to patch or mend coarsely
- Informal to strike, as with the hand
- Informal to hit (a ball) hard
Etymology: ME clutien < the n.
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