Paul Muniment looked at his young friend a moment. 'Do you want to know what he is? He's atout.' 'Atout? What do you mean?' 'Well, a cat's-paw, if you like better.'
2023 December [2009], Kazune Kawahara, translated by Hana Allen,The Secret of Friendship, Seven Seas Entertainment, translation of友だちの話 [Tomodachi no Hanashi],→ISBN, page 6:
No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict ; he had often threatened any one of hisemployés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of thesetouts.
2011, Hugh Jordan,Milestones in Murder: Defining Moments in Ulster's Terror War:
The Derry Brigade of the IRA thought it had got rid of its informer problem when earlier that year it executed Paddy Flood as atout, after holding him for six weeks.
China hastouted its policy of non-interference for decades.
2012, Scott Tobias, “The Hunger Games”, inThe A.V. Club:
For the 75 years since a district rebellion was put down, The Games have existed as an assertion of the Capital’s power, a winner-take-all contest thattouts heroism and sacrifice—participants are called “tributes”— while pitting the districts against each other.
2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, inEnglish World-Wide[1], page 9:
Newspaper articles also were generally positive in tone, although a tendency towards sensationalism means that the spread of hybrid forms is occasionallytouted as the universal language of the future.
(UK,slang, horse-racing,transitive) To spy out information about (a horse, a racing stable, etc.).
(US,slang, horse-racing,transitive) To give atip on (a racehorse) to a person, with the expectation of sharing in any winnings.
(UK,slang, horse-racing,intransitive) To spy out the movements of racehorses at their trials, or to get by stealth or other improper means the secrets of the stable, for betting purposes.
When modifying a feminine adjective, the formtout is used preceding a vowel or muted H, or otherwise changes to agree with the adjective. When modifying a verb,tout is invariant.
