clout: [OE] In Old English, a clout was a patch of cloth put over a hole to mend it. Hence in due course it came to be used simply for a ‘piece of cloth’, and by further extension for a ‘garment’ (as in ‘Ne’er cast a clout till May be out’). However, the reason for its colloquial application to ‘hit, blow’, which dates from the 14th century, is not known, and indeed this may be an entirely different word. As for the word’s ultimate antecedents, it probably comes, along with cleat, clot, cluster, and clutter, from a prehistoric Germanic base *klut-, *kleut-, *klaut-. => cleat, clot, cluster, clutter
clout (n.)
Old English clut "lump of something," also "patch of cloth put over a hole to mend it," from Proto-Germanic *klutaz (cognates: Old Norse klute "kerchief," Danish klud "rag, tatter," Frisian klut "lump," Dutch kluit "clod, lump"); perhaps related to clot (v.).
In later use "a handkerchief," also "a woman's sanitary napkin." Sense of "a blow" is from c. 1400 early 14c., from the verb. Sense of "personal influence" is 1958, on the notion of "punch, force."
clout (v.)
"to beat, strike," early 14c., from clout (n.), perhaps on the notion of hitting someone with a lump of something, or from the "patch of cloth" sense of that word (compare clout (v.) "to patch, mend," mid-14c.). Related: Clouted; clouting.
实用例句
1. The two firms wield enormous clout in financial markets.
两家公司在金融市场有非常大的影响力。
来自柯林斯例句
2. I was half tempted to give one of them a clout myself.
我自己都特别想给他们某个人一拳。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.
女王有特权,但无真正的政治影响力.
来自《简明英汉词典》
4. If the photocopier stops working just give it a clout.
如果那部影印机停止运转的话就敲它一下.
来自《简明英汉词典》
5. Mr Sutherland may have the clout needed to push the two trading giants into a deal.
