noun / adjective
cleft
KLEFT/kleft/
A split or narrow opening in something.
A narrow cleft divides the rock near its base.
Etymology
Old English geclyft described something “split” or “cloven.” The noun shifts attention from that divided condition to the resulting gap or opening.
In context
began to clamber up a narrow fern-lined cleft among the rocks.
More examples
- The plant grew inside a damp cleft.
- The medical team treated a child with a cleft palate.
- His chin had a small central cleft.
Forms
cleft · clefts
Similar words
- crack
- Any narrow break, while cleft often suggests a distinct split or opening.