noun

clove

klohv

Clove (noun) means a strong, aromatic spice made from the dried flower bud of the clove tree. Example: “She added a few cloves to the mulled wine for warmth and spice.”

noun

A strong, aromatic spice made from the dried flower bud of the clove tree.

"She added a few cloves to the mulled wine for warmth and spice."

One of the small individual segments that make up a bulb, such as garlic.

"The recipe calls for two cloves of garlic, finely minced."

How to use clove

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the spice itself, or a single segment of a garlic bulb.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "clove" as the past tense of "cleave" (an older, less common usage) — modern readers will almost always mean the spice or the garlic segment.

Common pairings

clove of garlic ground cloves oil of clove

Word forms

cloves plural, cloves plural, cloves plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She added a few _____ to the mulled wine for warmth and spice.

Etymology

From Old French clou de girofle, literally "nail of clove" — named for the spice's nail-like shape. Related to Latin clavus, "nail."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for clove

love wove move cove hove Jove rove Dove above drove prove grove

See all rhymes for clove →

Frequently asked questions

What does “clove” mean?

The word “clove” means a strong, aromatic spice made from the dried flower bud of the clove tree. In plain terms, either the spice itself, or a single segment of a garlic bulb.

How do you pronounce “clove”?

“Clove” is pronounced klohv (/kloʊv/ in IPA).

How do you use “clove” in a sentence?

Here is “clove” used in a sentence: “She added a few cloves to the mulled wine for warmth and spice.”

What part of speech is “clove”?

“Clove” is a noun.

Where does the word “clove” come from?

The word “clove” comes from Latin. From Old French clou de girofle, literally "nail of clove" — named for the spice's nail-like shape. Related to Latin clavus, "nail.".

How many meanings does “clove” have?

“Clove” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a strong, aromatic spice made from the dried flower bud of the clove tree.