HOW TO PRONOUNCE
clout
/klaʊt/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does clout mean?
noun
- (informal) Influence or effectiveness, especially political.
- A blow with the hand.
- (informal) A home run.
More meanings (12)
noun
- The center of the butt at which archers shoot; probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head.
- A clout nail.
- (dated) A swaddling cloth, nappy, or loincloth.
- (archaic) A cloth; a piece of cloth or leather; a patch; a rag.
- (archaic) An iron plate on an axletree or other wood to keep it from wearing; a washer.
- (obsolete) A piece; a fragment.
verb
- To hit (someone or something), especially with the fist.
- To cover with cloth, leather, or other material; to bandage, patch, or mend with a clout.
- To stud with nails, as a timber, or a boot sole.
- To guard with an iron plate, as an axletree.
- To join or patch clumsily.
- (dated) Dated form of clot.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/klaʊt/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
At this Little-faith looked as white as a clout, and had neither power to fight nor fly.
“It’s a bit dry now, but it’s wet as a clout with sweat even yet. Feel it.”
More book examples (3)
And for to apparel with our bodies we use a silly little clout for to wrap in our carrion.
Both were stripped to the breech clout, now tugging like two young buffalo or elk in mating time, again writhing and twisting like serpents.
So he goes thither, deeming that mayhappen one of the company had dropped something, pouch or clout, or what not, in his haste and hurry.