1.
[syn: cinquefoil, five-finger]
2. an ornamental carving consisting of five arcs arranged in a circle;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cinquefoil \Cinque"foil`\, n. [Cinque five + foil, F. feuille
leaf. See Foil.]
1. (Bot.) The name of several different species of the genus
Potentilla; -- also called five-finger, because of the
resemblance of its leaves to the fingers of the hand.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Arch.) An ornamental foliation having five points or
cups, used in windows, panels, etc. --Gwilt.
[1913 Webster]
Marsh cinquefoil, the Potentilla palustris, a plant with
purple flowers which grows in fresh-water marshes.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
cinquefoil
n 1: any of a numerous plants grown for their five-petaled
flowers; abundant in temperate regions; alleged to have
medicinal properties [syn: cinquefoil, five-finger]
2: an ornamental carving consisting of five arcs arranged in a
circle