noun
clover
KLOH-ver/ˈkləʊvər/
A small plant with usually three rounded leaflets and clustered flowers.
White clover grows among the grass in our front yard.
Etymology
Old English clafre already named clover. Its deeper origin is uncertain; some scholars connect the name with stickiness, citing the plant’s sticky juice as a source of honey.
In context
white clover, number one in my heart, another legume, another bean family plant
More examples
- Bees gather nectar from the clover beside the fence.
- She finds a four-leaf clover near the garden path.
- Farmers plant clover to improve the soil.
Forms
clover · clovers
Similar words
- shamrock
- Names a three-leaflet clover or similar plant symbolizing Ireland.
- trefoil
- A broader name for three-leaflet plants, including clover.