clover
Americannoun
plural
clovers,plural
clover-
any of various plants of the genus Trifolium, of the legume family, having trifoliolate leaves and dense flower heads, many species of which, as T. pratense, are cultivated as forage plants.
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any of various plants of allied genera, as melilot.
idioms
noun
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any plant of the leguminous genus Trifolium, having trifoliate leaves and dense flower heads. Many species, such as red clover, white clover, and alsike, are grown as forage plants
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any of various similar or related plants
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another name for melilot
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another name for alfilaria
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informal in a state of ease or luxury
Other Word Forms
- clovered adjective
- clovery adjective
Etymology
Origin of clover
before 900; Middle English clovere, Old English clāfre; akin to German Klee
Compare meaning
How does clover compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A clover is a small plant with bright green leaves and white or purple flowers. It's considered good luck to find a four-leaf clover! Most clover features clusters of three rounded leaves, and very rarely there are four. Because it's so uncommon to find a four-leaf clover, it's become a symbol of luck. And just imagine how lucky the even rarer five- and six-leaf clovers are! The clover plant produces pretty little flowers, and while it's sometimes considered a weed, it's also commonly included in grassy lawns for its bright color and heartiness.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Also blooming now: goldfields, purple grape soda lupine and owl’s clover.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The dead are placed in sealed vessels bedded with clover, hay and straw and equipped to regulate airflow, temperature and moisture.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
A small group of plants, including peas, clover, and beans, can grow without added nitrogen.
From Science Daily • Dec. 9, 2025
Legume hordes like clover pull nitrogen from the air, reducing the use of chemical fertilisers, and the milking parlour is 80-percent solar- and wind-powered.
From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025
In such places my spirit lifted to the sight of the drifts of white clover or the clouds of purple vetch with here and there the flaming cup of a wood lily.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
