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cleavers
[ klee-verz ]
/ ˈkli vərz /
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noun, plural cleav·ers.
a North American plant, Galium aparine, of the madder family, having short, hooked bristles on the stems and leaves and bearing very small white flowers.
any of certain related species.
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Also clivers.
Also called catchweed, goose grass.
Origin of cleavers
before 1000; Middle English clivre,Old English clife burdock (-re probably by association with Middle English clivres (plural) claws, or with the agent noun from cleven to cleave1, whence the modern spelling)
Words nearby cleavers
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cleavers in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cleavers
cleavers
/ (ˈkliːvəz) /
noun
(functioning as singular) a Eurasian rubiaceous plant, Galium aparine, having small white flowers and prickly stems and fruitsAlso called: goosegrass, hairif, sticky willie
Word Origin for cleavers
Old English clīfe; related to clīfan to cleave ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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