trefoil
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)
- any of several Old World herbs of the genus Medicago having small flowers and trifoliate compound leavesSynonyms: medicmedickType of herb, herbaceous plantKinds sickle alfalfa, alfalfa, black medick, Calvary clover, moon trefoilMember of Medicago, genus Medicago
- a plant of the genus TrifoliumSynonyms: cloverType of herb, herbaceous plantKinds white clover, crimson clover, alpine clover, red clover, hop clover, buffalo cloverMember of Trifolium, genus Trifolium
- an architectural ornament in the form of three arcs arranged in a circleType of architectural ornament
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Tre′foil noun
Origin: L. tres three + E. foil leaf; cf. F. frèfle, It. trifoglio, L. trifolium. See Tri-, Foil leaf, and cf. Trifoly.
1. Botany Any plant of the genus Trifolium, which includes the white clover, red clover, etc.; — less properly, applied also to the nonesuch, or black medic. See Clover, and Medic.
2. Architecture An ornamental foliation consisting of three divisions, or foils.
3. Heraldry A charge representing the clover leaf.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54