To strike or hit; to overcome or defeat an opponent.
From dis- + clout (meaning a heavy blow or strike, from Old English clūt). The prefix dis- intensifies the action of the blow, creating a verb meaning to strike heavily.
Clout originally meant 'a patch of cloth,' then evolved to mean 'a blow or hit,' and the phrase 'to have clout' still means having power or influence—this word captures the connection between physical and social power.
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