clou
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of clou
1880–85; < French: literally, a nail < Latin clāvus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The name of the restaurant — clou translates to “nail” in French — conveys “something that holds the greatest attention,” much like Cartier’s signature Juste Un Clou bracelet, says Stefanelli.
From Washington Post • Jan. 24, 2023
"Everyone is saying that the Princess—your sister—is the clou of the ball."
From Miss Pat at School by Ginther, Pemberton
They are so named from the French word clou, on account of their resemblance to a nail.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various
The com�die was well acted, a little long, but the clou of the evening was the ballet-pantomime, danced by all the prettiest women in Rome.
From Italian Letters of a Diplomat's Life January-May, 1880; February-April, 1904 by Waddington, Mary Alsop King
With regard, to the clou of his plot, however, I can hardly say so much.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, December 1, 1920 by Seaman, Owen, Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
