clou

See also: Clou

English

Etymology

From French clou. Doublet of clove.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kluː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uː
• Homophones: clue, clew

Noun

clou (plural clous)

1. Something which holds the greatest attention; the chief point of interest.
   • 1911, Max Beerbohm, Zuleika Dobson:

     But had he not refused her the wherewithal to remember him—the pearls she needed as the clou of her dear collection, the great relic among relics?

   • 1994, Richard Abel, The Ciné Goes to Town: French Cinema, 1896-1914, page 70:

     Partly because they were constructed of multiple shot-scenes and recorded exclusively in LS, their elaborate decors acquired an even more privileged role — as tableaux and clous of spectacle — much in the manner of late nineteenth-century French stage productions […]

Anagrams

• ULOC

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈklɔw]

Verb

clou

1. inflection of cloure:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French clou.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klu/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: clou
• Rhymes: -u

Noun

clou m (plural clous, no diminutive)

1. punch line

Synonyms

• pointe

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from French clou.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkluː/, [ˈkluː]
• IPA^(key): /ˈklou̯/, [ˈklo̞u̯]
• Rhymes: -uː

Noun

clou

1. highlight (high point of an occasion, press release etc.)

Declension

Inflection of clou (Kotus type 21/rosé, no gradation)
nominative		clou	clout
genitive		cloun	clouiden clouitten
partitive		clouta	clouita
illative		clouhun	clouihin
		singular	plural
nominative		clou	clout
accusative	nom.	clou	clout
	gen.	cloun
genitive		cloun	clouiden clouitten
partitive		clouta	clouita
inessive		cloussa	clouissa
elative		clousta	clouista
illative		clouhun	clouihin
adessive		cloulla	clouilla
ablative		cloulta	clouilta
allative		cloulle	clouille
essive		clouna	clouina
translative		clouksi	clouiksi
abessive		cloutta	clouitta
instructive		—	clouin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of clou (Kotus type 21/rosé, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative clouni clouni accusative nom. clouni clouni gen. clouni genitive clouni clouideni clouitteni partitive cloutani clouitani inessive cloussani clouissani elative cloustani clouistani illative clouhuni clouihini adessive cloullani clouillani ablative cloultani clouiltani allative cloulleni clouilleni essive clounani clouinani translative cloukseni clouikseni abessive clouttani clouittani instructive — — comitative — clouineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative clousi clousi accusative nom. clousi clousi gen. clousi genitive clousi clouidesi clouittesi partitive cloutasi clouitasi inessive cloussasi clouissasi elative cloustasi clouistasi illative clouhusi clouihisi adessive cloullasi clouillasi ablative cloultasi clouiltasi allative cloullesi clouillesi essive clounasi clouinasi translative clouksesi clouiksesi abessive clouttasi clouittasi instructive — — comitative — clouinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative cloumme cloumme accusative nom. cloumme cloumme gen. cloumme genitive cloumme clouidemme clouittemme partitive cloutamme clouitamme inessive cloussamme clouissamme elative cloustamme clouistamme illative clouhumme clouihimme adessive cloullamme clouillamme ablative cloultamme clouiltamme allative cloullemme clouillemme essive clounamme clouinamme translative clouksemme clouiksemme abessive clouttamme clouittamme instructive — — comitative — clouinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative clounne clounne accusative nom. clounne clounne gen. clounne genitive clounne clouidenne clouittenne partitive cloutanne clouitanne inessive cloussanne clouissanne elative cloustanne clouistanne illative clouhunne clouihinne adessive cloullanne clouillanne ablative cloultanne clouiltanne allative cloullenne clouillenne essive clounanne clouinanne translative clouksenne clouiksenne abessive clouttanne clouittanne instructive — — comitative — clouinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative clounsa clounsa accusative nom. clounsa clounsa gen. clounsa genitive clounsa clouidensa clouittensa partitive cloutaan cloutansa clouitaan clouitansa inessive cloussaan cloussansa clouissaan clouissansa elative cloustaan cloustansa clouistaan clouistansa illative clouhunsa clouihinsa adessive cloullaan cloullansa clouillaan clouillansa ablative cloultaan cloultansa clouiltaan clouiltansa allative cloulleen cloullensa clouilleen clouillensa essive clounaan clounansa clouinaan clouinansa translative cloukseen clouksensa clouikseen clouiksensa abessive clouttaan clouttansa clouittaan clouittansa instructive — — comitative — clouineen clouinensa

Synonyms

• kohokohta

Further reading

• “clou”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French clou, from Latin clāvus, from Proto-Italic *klāwos, from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂u-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klu/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Paris)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u

Noun

clou m (plural clous)

1. nail (metal pin)
2. clove (of garlic)
3. (figurative) highlight, climax
4. (usually in the plural, des clous) not likely, no way, you'll be so lucky

Derived terms

• clou d'ail
• clou de girofle
• clouer
• cloutier
• dans les clous
• enfoncer le clou
• maigre comme un clou

Descendants

• → Dutch: clou
• → English: clou
• → Finnish: clou
• → German: Clou
• → Greek: κλου (klou)
• Haitian Creole: klou
• → Italian: clou
• → Polish: clou

Further reading

• “clou”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French clou. Doublet of chiavo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklu/^**
• Rhymes: -u

Noun

clou m (invariable)

1. (also relational) highlight (high point of an occasion)

   la mossa clou della partita ― the standout move of the match

Anagrams

• culo, luco

Manx

Alternative forms

• clow

Etymology

From Classical Gaelic clobh, clobhadh, from Middle Irish cloba, from Old Norse klof (“fissure”) and/or klofi (“fork in a river”), from the root of Old Norse *kleubaną (“to split, cleave”). Cognate with Irish tlú and Scottish Gaelic clobha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klau/

Noun

clou m (genitive singular clou, plural cloughyn)

1. tongs

Mutation

Mutation of clou

radical	lenition	eclipsis
clou	chlou	glou

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Manx.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Middle English

Noun

clou

1. alternative form of clough

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French clou.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklu/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Syllabification: clou

Noun

clou n (indeclinable)

1. clou (something which holds the greatest attention; the chief point of interest)

Further reading

• clou in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French clou.

Noun

clou n (plural clou-uri)

1. highlight, climax of a show

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	clou	clouul		clou-uri	clou-urile
genitive-dative	clou	clouului		clou-uri	clou-urilor
vocative	clouule			clou-urilor

Welsh

Alternative forms

• cloi

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /klɔɨ̯/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /klɔi̯/

Adjective

clou (feminine singular clou, plural clou, equative cloued, comparative clouach, superlative clouaf)

1. (South Wales, colloquial) pronunciation spelling of clau (“fast, quick”).

Synonyms

• cyflym

Mutation

Mutated forms of clou

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
clou	glou	nghlou	chlou

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “clou”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin