1
- informal a heavy blow with the hand or a hard object〈非正式〉（用手、硬物的）重击：
a clout round the ear.
一记耳光。
2
- mass noun informal influence or power, especially in politics or business〈非正式〉（尤指政治、商业的）影响; 势力：
I knew he carried a lot of clout.
我知道他很有势力。
3
- archaic a piece of cloth or clothing, especially one used as a patch〈古〉碎布; 衣服（尤指作补丁用的）。
4
- Archery a target twelve times the usual size, used in long-distance shooting. It is placed flat on the ground with a flag marking its centre.【射箭】远程箭靶。
4.1
- a shot that hits such a target中靶的一箭。
5
- short for CLOUT NAIL.CLOUT NAIL的简称。
with obj.
1
- informal hit hard with the hand or a hard object〈非正式〉（以手或硬物）重击：
I clouted him round the head.
我重击他的头部。
2
- archaic mend with a patch〈古〉（用补丁）缝补。
短语
ne'er cast a clout till May be out
- proverb a warning not to discard one's winter clothes until the end of May〈谚〉五月不过, 冬衣不脱。
- ORIGIN: clout in sense 3.
词源
Old English clūt （in the sense 'a patch or metal plate'）; related to Dutch kluit 'lump, clod', also to CLEAT and CLOT. The shift of sense to 'heavy blow', which dates from late Middle English, is difficult to explain; possibly the change occurred first in the verb （from 'put a patch on' to 'hit hard'）.