clove

Multiple Entries:
  clove    cleave  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
clove1

▶noun

• 1 the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, used as an aromatic spice.

  ■ (oil of cloves) aromatic analgesic oil extracted from cloves and used medicinally to relieve dental pain.

• 2 the Indonesian tree from which cloves are obtained. [Syzygium aromaticum (also called Eugenia caryophyllus).]

• 3 (also clove pink or clove gillyflower) a clove-scented pink which is the original type from which the carnation and other double pinks have been bred. [Dianthus caryophyllus.]

– origin ME: from OFr. clou de girofle, lit. ‘nail of gillyflower’ (from its shape), gillyflower being orig. the name of the spice and later applied to the similarly scented pink.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
clove2

▶noun any of the small bulbs making up a compound bulb of garlic, shallot, etc.

– origin OE clufu, of Gmc origin, corresp. to the base of cleave1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
clove3

past of cleave1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cleave1

▶verb (past clove or cleft or cleaved; past part. cloven or cleft or cleaved)

• 1 split or sever along a natural grain or line.

  ■ split (a molecule) by breaking a particular chemical bond.

  ■ Biology (of a cell) divide.

• 2 move through (something) forcefully: they watched a coot cleave the smooth water.

– derivatives
cleavable adjective.

– origin OE clēofan, of Gmc origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cleave2

▶verb (cleave to) literary

• 1 stick fast to.

• 2 adhere strongly to or become very involved with: most schools cleave strongly to received policy.

– origin OE cleofian, clifian, clīfan, of W. Gmc origin; rel. to clay and climb.