Category:Clout

Clout, n. Etym: [AS. clut a little cloth, piece of metal; cf. Sw. klut, Icel. klutr a kerchief, or W. clwt a clout, Gael. clud.]

1. A cloth; a piece of cloth or leather; a patch; a rag. His garments, nought but many ragged clouts, With thorns together pinned and patched was. Spenser. A clout upon that head where late the diadem stood. Shak.

2. A swadding cloth.

3. A piece; a fragment. [Obs.] Chaucer.

4. The center of the butt at which archers shoot; -- probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head. A'must shoot nearer or he'll ne'er hit the clout. Shak.

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

6. A blow with the hand. [Low] Clout nail, a kind of wrought-iron nail heaving a large flat head; -- used for fastening clouts to axletrees, plowshares, etc., also for studding timber, and for various purposes.

clout Clout, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clouted; p. pr. & vb. n. Clouting.] Etym: [OE. clutien. clouten, to patch. See Clout, n.]

1. To cover with cloth, leather, or other material; to bandage; patch, or mend, with a clout. And old shoes and clouted upon their feet. Josh. ix. 5. Paul, yea, and Peter, too, had more skill in. . . clouting an old tent than to teach lawyers. Latimer.

2. To join or patch clumsily. If fond Bavius vent his clouted song. P. Fletcher

3. To quard with an iron plate, as an axletree.

4. To give a blow to; to strike. [Low] The. . . queen of Spain took off one of her chopines and clouted Olivarez about the noddle with it. Howell.

5. To stud with nails, as a timber, or a boot sole. Clouted cream, clotted cream, i. e., cream obtained by warming new milk. A. Philips.

Note: "Clouted brogues" in Shakespeare and "clouted shoon" in Milton have been understood by some to mean shoes armed with nails; by others, patched shoes.