cinquefoil

American  

[singk-foil] / ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl /

noun

1. any of several plants belonging to the genus Potentilla, of the rose family, having yellow, red, or white five-petaled flowers, as P. reptans creeping cinquefoil, of the Old World, or P. argentea silvery cinquefoil, of North America.

2. Also called quinquefoil, quintefoil.  Architecture. a panellike ornament consisting of five lobes, divided by cusps, radiating from a common center.

3. Heraldry. a charge in the form of a five-leaved clover.

---

cinquefoil British  

/ ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl /

noun

1. any plant of the N temperate rosaceous genus Potentilla, typically having five-lobed compound leaves

2. an ornamental carving in the form of five arcs arranged in a circle and separated by cusps

3. heraldry a charge representing a five-petalled flower

---

Etymology

Origin of cinquefoil

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English sink foil, from Middle French cincfoille, from Latin quīnque folia “five leaves,” translation of Greek pentáphyllon “cinquefoil,” noun use of adjective pentáphyllos “five-petalled”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cinquefoil

For Potentilla, or cinquefoil, it’s a more industrial approach.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

Vollmer’s research on the dwarf mountain cinquefoil seeks to provide evidence of the plant cloning itself by producing seeds without fertilization, or of genetic diversity and its evolution.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 21, 2020

The grass was knee-high and thick with cornflowers, gentians, cinquefoil.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

And when I explained that she had found it while digging for cinquefoil root—which we used on open sores—he seemed quite interested.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

She had, like many other persons there, aloes in the open ground, and, what is more difficult, she succeeded in cultivating the Nepaulese cinquefoil.

From Toilers of the Sea by Hugo, Victor