clout

UK: /ˈklaʊt/ US: /klaʊt/ ,(klout)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

clout /klaʊt/   n. 

1. a blow or hit, esp. with the hand;
   cuff:
   [countable] got a clout on the head.
2. Informal Terms Informal. influence upon people who make decisions:
   [uncountable] still had a lot of clout in the sales department.

v. [~ + object]

3. to hit or cuff:
   She clouted the intruder on the head.

clout•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

clout  (klout), n. 

1. a blow, esp. with the hand;
   cuff:
   The bully gave him a painful clout on the head.
2. Informal Terms pull;
   strong influence;
   muscle, esp. political power:
   a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall.
3. Sport [Baseball.] a long hit, esp. an extra-base hit:
   A hard clout to deep center field drove in the winning run.
4. Sport [Archery.]
   • the mark or target shot at, esp. in long-distance shooting.
   • a shot that hits the mark.
5. Building Also called clout′ nail′. a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood, having a short shank with a broad head.
6. [Archaic.]
   • a patch or piece of cloth or other material used to mend something.
   • any worthless piece of cloth;
     rag.
   • an article of clothing (usually used contemptuously).

v.t. 

7. to strike, esp. with the hand;
   cuff.
8. [Archaic.]
   • to bandage.
   • to patch;
     mend.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English clūt piece of cloth or metal; cognate with Middle Low German klūte, Old Norse klūtr

clout′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

clout / klaʊt/ noun

1. a blow with the hand or a hard object
2. power or influence, esp in politics
3. Also called: clout nail a short flat-headed nail used esp for attaching sheet metal to wood
4. a piece of cloth: a dish clout
5. a garment

verb (transitive)

1. to give a hard blow to, esp with the hand
2. to patch with a piece of cloth or leather

Etymology: Old English clūt piece of metal or cloth, clūtian to patch (C14: to strike with the hand); related to Dutch kluit a lump, and to clod