noun
cleft
KLEHFT
noun
1
A narrow opening, crack, or V-shaped gap, especially in rock or in part of the body.
"A small stream ran through a cleft in the hillside."
"He had a noticeable cleft in his chin."
adj
1
Split or divided, especially by a deep crack or notch.
"The baby was born with a cleft lip that surgeons later corrected."
"A cleft rock marked the entrance to the cave."
How to Use Cleft
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA split, crack, or notch — used for rock formations, chins, and certain birth conditions like cleft lip/palate.
Common pairings
cleft chin
cleft lip
cleft in the rock
Word Forms
clefted past tense, clefts plural, clefts singular
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A small stream ran through a _____ in the hillside.
Etymology
From Old English geclyft, related to "cleave" (to split) — a cleft is literally something that has been cloven.