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Clove - 18 dictionary results

clove

1  [klohv]
Use Clove in a Sentence
–noun
1. the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, Syzygium aromaticum, of the myrtle family, used whole or ground as a spice.
2. the tree itself.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME clow(e), short for clow-gilofre < OF clou de gilofre. See clou, gillyflower

clove

2  [klohv]
–noun Botany.
one of the small bulbs formed in the axils of the scales of a mother bulb, as in garlic.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; OE clufu bulb (c. MD clōve, D kloof); akin to cleave 2

clove

3  [klohv]
–verb
a pt. of cleave 2 .

clove

4  [klohv]
–noun
a British unit of weight for wool, cheese, etc., usually equivalent to 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms).
Origin:
1300–50; ME claue < AF clove, earlier clou, equiv. to AL clāvus, L: nail; see clove 1

cleave

1  [kleev]
–verb (used without object), cleaved or (Archaic) clave; cleaved; cleav⋅ing.
1. to adhere closely; stick; cling (usually fol. by to).
2. to remain faithful (usually fol. by to): to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME cleven, OE cleofian, c. OHG klebēn (G kleben)

Related forms:
cleav⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

cleave

2  [kleev] verb, cleft or cleaved or clove, cleft or cleaved or clo⋅ven, cleav⋅ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, esp. along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.
2. to make by or as if by cutting: to cleave a path through the wilderness.
3. to penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.): The bow of the boat cleaved the water cleanly.
4. to cut off; sever: to cleave a branch from a tree.
–verb (used without object)
5. to part or split, esp. along a natural line of division.
6. to penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting (usually fol. by through).
Origin:
bef. 950; ME cleven, OE clēofan, c. OHG klioban (G klieben), ON kljūfa; akin to Gk glýphein to carve, L glūbere to peel

Synonyms:
1. halve, rend, rive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Clove
cleave 1   (klēv)   
v.   cleft (klěft) or cleaved or clove (klōv), cleft or cleaved or clo·ven (klō'vən), cleav·ing, cleaves

v.   tr.
  1. To split with or as if with a sharp instrument. See Synonyms at tear1.
  2. To make or accomplish by or as if by cutting: cleave a path through the ice.
  3. To pierce or penetrate: The wings cleaved the foggy air.
  4. Chemistry To split (a complex molecule) into simpler molecules.
v.   intr.
  1. Mineralogy To split or separate, especially along a natural line of division.
  2. To penetrate or pass through something, such as water or air.

[Middle English cleven, from Old English clēofan; see gleubh- in Indo-European roots.]
cleav'a·ble adj.
clove 1   (klōv)   
n.  
  1. An evergreen tree (Syzygium aromaticum) native to the Moluccas and widely cultivated in warm regions for its aromatic dried flower buds.
  2. A flower bud of this plant, used whole or ground as a spice. Often used in the plural.

[Middle English, from Old French clou (de girofle), nail (of the clove tree), from Latin clāvus, nail.]
clove 2   (klōv)   
n.  One of the small sections of a separable bulb, as that of garlic.

[Middle English, from Old English clufu; see gleubh- in Indo-European roots.]
clove 3   (klōv)   
v.  
  1. A past tense of cleave1.
  2. Archaic A past participle of cleave1.
clove 4   (klōv)   
v.   Archaic
A past tense of cleave2.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Clove

Clove\, imp. of Cleave. Cleft. --Spenser.

Clove hitch (Naut.) See under Hitch.

Clove hook (Naut.), an iron two-part hook, with jaws overlapping, used in bending chain sheets to the clews of sails; -- called also clip hook. --Knight.

Clove

Clove\, n. [D. kloof. See Cleave, v. t.] A cleft; a gap; a ravine; -- rarely used except as part of a proper name; as, Kaaterskill Clove; Stone Clove.

Clove

Clove\, n. [OE. clow, fr. F. clou nail, clou de girofle a clove, lit. nail of clove, fr. L. clavus nail, perh. akin to clavis key, E. clavicle. The clove was so called from its resemblance to a nail. So in D. kruidnagel clove, lit. herb-nail or spice-nail. Cf. Cloy.] A very pungent aromatic spice, the unexpanded flower bud of the clove tree (Eugenia, or Caryophullus, aromatica), a native of the Molucca Isles.

Clove camphor. (Chem.) See Eugenin.

Clove gillyflower, Clove pink (Bot.), any fragrant self-colored carnation.

Clove

Clove\, n. [AS. clufe an ear of corn, a clove of garlic; cf. cle['o]fan to split, E. cleave.]

1. (Bot.) One of the small bulbs developed in the axils of the scales of a large bulb, as in the case of garlic.

Developing, in the axils of its skales, new bulbs, of what gardeners call cloves. --Lindley.

2. A weight. A clove of cheese is about eight pounds, of wool, about seven pounds. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Clove
Spanish: clavo,
German: die Gewürznelke,
Japanese: ちょうじ
More Translations »

clove  (1)
"spice," 1225, from O.Fr. clou (de girofle) "nail (of clove)," so called from its shape, from L. clavus "a nail" (see slot (2)).

clove  (2)
"slice of garlic," O.E. clufu, from P.Gmc. *klubo "cleft, thing cloven."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: clove
Pronunciation: 'klOv
Function: noun
1 a : the pungent fragrant aromatic reddish brown dried flower bud of a tropical evergreen tree(Syzygium aromaticum) of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) that yields clove oil b : a spice consisting of whole or ground cloves —usually used in plural
2 : the tree that is the source of cloves and is probably native to the Moluccas but is now widely cultivated in the tropics
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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