clobber

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to hit hard or defeat decisively; British slang for clothing and gear

   The home team clobbered their rivals by twenty points.

Simplified etymology

Clobber has two distinct and uncertain origins. The verb meaning “hit hard” or “defeat completely” dates from the Second World War and appears to have begun as RAF slang. The noun meaning “clothing or belongings” is an unrelated word recorded from the late 19th century, also of unknown origin.

Of obscure origin; the verb 'to hit hard' is attested from 1940s British and RAF slang, of uncertain derivation. The slang noun 'clothing, gear' is also of unknown origin, recorded from the 1850s.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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