Meaning

noun a target used in archery

noun special advantage or influence

noun a short nail with a flat head; used to attach sheet metal to wood

originFrom Middle English clout (“piece of cloth”), from Old English clūt (“piece of cloth, patch; metal plate”), from Proto-West Germanic *klūt, from Proto-Germanic *klūtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gelewdos, from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to ball up, amass”). The influence sense originated in the dialect of Chicago, but has become widespread. Cognate with Old Norse klútr (“kerchief”), Swedish…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0