clout

noun

Etymology: From Middle English clout (“piece of cloth”), from Old English clūt (“piece of cloth, patch; metal plate”), from Proto-West Germanic *klūt, from Proto-Germanic *klūtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gelewdos, from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to ball up, amass”). The influence sense originated in the dialect of Chicago, but has become widespread. Cognate with Old Norse klútr (“kerchief”), Swedish klut, Danish klud, Middle High German klōz (“lump”), whence German Kloß (“clump”), and dialectal Russian глуда (gluda). See also cleat.

1. Influence or effectiveness, especially political.

   “Having relinquished his clout in City Council to run for a place on the county board, and having lost stature by reason of his failure to win the presidency, Duffy was in no position to seek the party chairmanship for himself”

   “[…]ethics officers themselves often complain that they can recommend but have little clout with which to create real change.”

2. A blow with the hand.

   “‘Such a clout on the ear as you gave me… But I soon taught you.’”

   “One of her goons gave him a clout on the ear.”

3. A home run.

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

4. The center of the butt at which archers shoot; probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head.

   “For kings are clouts that euery man ſhoots at, Our Crowne the pin that thouſands ſeeke to cleaue.”

   “A’ must shoot nearer or he’ll ne’er hit the clout.”

5. A swaddling cloth.

   “When a new-hatched savage running wild about his native woodlands in a grass clout, followed by the nibbling goats, as if he were a green sapling; even then, in Queequeg’s ambitious soul, lurked a strong desire to see something more of Christendom than a specimen whaler or two.”

6. A cloth; a piece of cloth or leather; a patch; a rag.

   “His garment nought but many ragged clouts, / With thornes together pind and patched was, / The which his naked sides he wrapt abouts;”

   “If I were mad, I ſhould forget my ſonne, / or madly thinke a babe of clowts were he; I am not mad: too well, too well I feele / The different plague of each clamitie.”

7. An iron plate on an axletree or other wood to keep it from wearing; a washer.

   “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. A clout nail.
9. A piece; a fragment.

verb

1. Dated form of clot.

   “He tells us how to butter eggs, boil eels, clout cream, stew capons, how to make a fine cake, an almond pudding and a raspberry conserve, […]”