Clovis

¹ American  

[kloh-vis] / ˈkloʊ vɪs /

adjective

1. of or relating to a Paleo-Indian cultural tradition of North America, especially the American Southwest, dated 10,000–9000 b.c. and characterized by a usually bifacial, fluted stone projectile point Clovis point used in big-game hunting.

---

Clovis ² American  

[kloh-vis] / ˈkloʊ vɪs /

noun

1. a town in central California.

2. a city in E New Mexico.

3. a male given name.

---

Etymology

Origin of Clovis

1955–60; after Clovis, New Mexico, near where such projectile points were found

Example Sentences

The 17-year-old arrived in Clovis after sweeping all three of her events at the Southern Section championships.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Attention screenwriters, producers and agents: The Jonah Jeovany Vasquez story continues this weekend in Clovis, and it’s giving off Disney-like vibes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

"I knew Trump was going to announce it; I've said it all along," said Loperena, 69, who lives in Clovis, California.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

The loss of Ice Age megafauna and the disappearance of Clovis tools and artifacts occurred around the same time as the onset of the Younger Dryas.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

In a crisply argued paper in Science in 1964, Haynes drew attention to the correlation between the birth of “an ice-free, trans-Canadian corridor” and the “abrupt appearance of Clovis artifacts some 700 years later.”

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann