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
Versailles is the clou to the age of Louis XIV.
From Landmarks in French Literature by Strachey, Giles Lytton
The clou of the sale was undoubtedly the portrait of his wife and two children.
From Promenades of an Impressionist by Huneker, James
They were every whit as good to eat, and they were distinctly the clou of luncheon at Chester races next day.
From Through East Anglia in a Motor Car by Vincent, J. E. (James Edmund)
But Asako was the clou of the evening; and besides, an English gentleman would be insulted if his wife were not invited too.
From Kimono by Paris, John
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.
