cleft
1
[ kleft ]
/ klɛft /
noun
a space or opening made by cleavage; a split.
a division formed by cleaving.
a hollow area or indentation: a chin with a cleft.
Veterinary Pathology.
a crack on the bend of the pastern of a horse.
Origin of cleft
1
1300–50; Middle English
clift, Old English (
ge)clyft split, cracked; cognate with Old High German, Old Norse
kluft; akin to
cleave2
Words nearby cleft
cleck,
cleek,
cleese,
cleethorpes,
clef,
cleft,
cleft hand,
cleft lip,
cleft palate,
cleft sentence,
cleft spine
Definition for cleft (2 of 4)
cleft
2
[ kleft ]
/ klɛft /
verb
a simple past tense and past participle of cleave2.
adjective
cloven; split; divided.
(of a leaf, corolla, lobe, or other expanded plant part) having divisions formed by incisions or narrow sinuses that extend more than halfway to the midrib or the base.
Origin of cleft
2
see origin at
cleft1
Definition for cleft (3 of 4)
cleave
1
[ kleev ]
/ kliv /
verb (used without object), cleaved or (Archaic) clave; cleaved; cleav·ing.
to adhere closely; stick; cling (usually followed by to).
to remain faithful (usually followed by to): to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution.
Origin of cleave
1
before 900; Middle English
cleven, Old English
cleofian, cognate with Old High German
klebēn (German
kleben)
OTHER WORDS FROM cleave
cleav·ing·ly, adverbDefinition for cleft (4 of 4)
cleave
2
[ kleev ]
/ kliv /
verb (used with object), cleft or cleaved or clove, cleft or cleaved or clo·ven, cleav·ing.
to split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, especially along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.
to make by or as if by cutting: to cleave a path through the wilderness.
to penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.): The bow of the boat cleaved the water cleanly.
to cut off; sever: to cleave a branch from a tree.
verb (used without object), cleft or cleaved or clove, cleft or cleaved or clo·ven, cleav·ing.
to part or split, especially along a natural line of division.
to penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting (usually followed by through).
Origin of cleave
2
before 950; Middle English
cleven, Old English
clēofan, cognate with Old High German
klioban (German
klieben), Old Norse
kljūfa; akin to Greek
glýphein to carve, Latin
glūbere to peel
Example sentences from the Web for cleft
British Dictionary definitions for cleft (1 of 3)
cleft
/ (klɛft) /
verb
the past tense and a past participle of cleave 1
noun
a fissure or crevice
an indentation or split in something, such as the chin, palate, etc
adjective
split; divided
(of leaves) having one or more incisions reaching nearly to the midrib
Word Origin for cleft
Old English
geclyft (n); related to Old High German
kluft tongs, German
Kluft gap, fissure; see
cleave
1
British Dictionary definitions for cleft (2 of 3)
cleave
1
/ (kliːv) /
verb cleaves, cleaving, cleft, cleaved, clove, cleft, cleaved or cloven
to split or cause to split, esp along a natural weakness
(tr)
to make by or as if by cutting
to cleave a path
(when intr, foll by through)
to penetrate or traverse
Derived forms of cleave
cleavable, adjective cleavability, nounWord Origin for cleave
Old English
clēofan; related to Old Norse
kljūfa, Old High German
klioban, Latin
glūbere to peel
British Dictionary definitions for cleft (3 of 3)
cleave
2
/ (kliːv) /
verb
(intr foll by to)
to cling or adhere
Word Origin for cleave
Old English
cleofian; related to Old High German
klebēn to stick
Medical definitions for cleft
cleft
[ klĕft ]
n.
A split or fissure between two parts.