Dictionary.com



trefoil

trefoil


tre·foil    Audio Help   (trē'foil', trěf'oil')   

n.  

  1. Any of various plants of the genera Trifolium, Lotus, and related genera of the pea family, having compound trifoliate leaves.

  2. An ornament, symbol, or architectural form having the appearance of a trifoliate leaf.


[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman trifoil, from Latin trifolium : tri-, tri- + folium, leaf; see bhel-3 in Indo-European roots.]
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.