claw vs clout

claw

noun
  • A human fingernail, particularly one extending well beyond the fingertip. 

  • The pincer (chela) of a crustacean or other arthropod. 

  • A curved, pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot of a mammal, reptile, or bird. 

  • A mechanical device resembling a claw, used for gripping or lifting. 

  • A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, such as the base of petals of the pink. 

  • The act of catching a ball overhand. 

  • A foot equipped with such. 

verb
  • To scratch or to tear at. 

  • To use the claws to climb. 

  • To perform a claw catch. 

  • To use the claws to seize, to grip. 

  • To move with one's fingertips. 

clout

noun
  • A clout nail. 

  • The center of the butt at which archers shoot; probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head. 

  • Influence or effectiveness, especially political. 

  • A home run. 

  • A blow with the hand. 

verb
  • To cover with cloth, leather, or other material; to bandage, patch, or mend with a clout. 

  • To stud with nails, as a timber, or a boot sole. 

  • To guard with an iron plate, as an axletree. 

  • To hit, especially with the fist. 

  • To join or patch clumsily. 

How often have the words claw and clout occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )