clout

English

Etymology

Old English clūt, from Proto-Germanic *klūtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *glūdos. Cognate with Old Norse klútr (“kerchief”) (Swedish klut, Danish klud), Middle High German klōz (“lump”) (German Kloß), dialect Russian глуда (gluda). See also cleat. The sense "influence, especially political" originated in the dialect of Chicago, but has become widespread.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /klaʊt/, X-SAMPA: /"klaUt/
• Rhymes: -aʊt

Noun

clout (plural clouts)

1. Influence or effectiveness, especially political.
   • 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, Guardian:

     The chopped mushrooms add depth to both the Waitrose and the Go-Go Vegan recipe, but what gives the latter some real clout on the flavour front is a teaspoon of Marmite. Vegetarian tweeter Jessica Edmonds tells me her boyfriend likes a similar recipe because "it tastes of Twiglets!". I'm with him – frankly, what's Christmas without a Twiglet? – but Annie Bell's goat's cheese has given me an idea for something even more festive. Stilton works brilliantly with parsnips, providing a savoury richness which feels a little more special than common or garden yeast extract. Blue cheese calls to mind the chestnuts used by Mary Berry of course, and now I'm on a roll, I pop in some sage and onion too, in a nod to the classic festive stuffing.

2. (regional, informal) A blow with the hand.
   • 1910, Katherine Mansfield, Frau Brenchenmacher Attends A Wedding

     'Such a clout on the ear as you gave me… But I soon taught you.'

3. (informal) A home run.
   • 2011, Michael Vega, "Triple double", in The Boston Globe, August 17, 2011, p. C1.

     '... allowed Boston to score all of its runs on homers, including a pair of clouts by Jacoby Ellsbury ...'

4. (archery) The center of the butt at which archers shoot; probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head.
5. (regional, dated) A swaddling cloth.
6. (archaic) A cloth; a piece of cloth or leather; a patch; a rag.
7. (archaic) An iron plate on an axletree or other wood to keep it from wearing; a washer.
   • 1866, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 1, p. 546.

     Clouts were thin and flat pieces of iron, used it appears to strengthen the box of the wheel; perhaps also for nailing on such other parts of the cart as were particularly exposed to wear.

8. (obsolete) A piece; a fragment.

Derived terms

Terms derived from clout

breech-clout clout list

clout-nail

ne'er cast a clout til May be out

Translations

influence, effectiveness

• Dutch: invloed (nl) m
• Finnish: vaikutusvalta, painoarvo
• German: Einfluss (de), Gewicht (de)

• Polish: znaczenie polityczne (pl) n
• Russian: влияние (ru) (vlijánije) n, вес (ru) (ves) m

informal: blow with the hand

• Bulgarian: плесница (bg) (plesnica) f
• Dutch: klap (nl) m, oorvijg (nl) f, slag (nl) m
• Finnish: tälli (fi)

• German: Kopfnuss (de) f
• Russian: удар (ru) (udár) m, затрещина (ru) (zatréščina) f

informal: home run

• Finnish: kunnari (fi)

archery: center of the butt

• Dutch: doelwit (nl) n

• Finnish: pilkka (fi), pilkku (fi)

swaddling cloth

• Albanian: pelenë
• Bulgarian: парцал (bg) (parcal) m

• Dutch: wikkel (nl) m, luier (nl) m
• Finnish: kapalo (fi)

piece of cloth

• Albanian: arnë (sq)
• Bulgarian: парцал (bg) (parcal) m, парче плат (bg) (parče plat)

• Dutch: lap (nl) m, vod (nl) m, f, and n, doek (nl) m
• Finnish: tilkku (fi); paikka (fi); riepu (fi), rätti (fi)

iron plate on an axletree or other wood to keep it from wearing

• Dutch: rondel (nl) n, ring (nl) m

• Finnish: prikka (fi)

piece, fragment

• Bulgarian: парче (bg) (parče) n

• Dutch: brok (nl) m, stuk (nl) n, fragment (nl) n
• Finnish: hitunen (fi)

Verb

clout (third-person singular simple present clouts, present participle clouting, simple past and past participle clouted)

1. To hit, especially with the fist.

Translations

hit, especially with the fist

• Bulgarian: удрям (bg) (udrjam)
• Czech: uhodit (cs)

• Dutch: slaan (nl), oorvijgen (nl)
• Finnish: lyödä (fi)