Clout (?), n. [AS.
clūt a little cloth, piece of metal; cf. Sw.
klut, Icel. klūtr 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, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Clouted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Clouting.] [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.
☞ "Clouted brogues" in Shakespeare and
"clouted shoon" in Milton have been understood by some to
mean shoes armed with nails; by others, patched shoes.