trifoliate

[ trahy-foh-lee-it, -eyt ]

/ traɪˈfoʊ li ɪt, -ˌeɪt /

adjective

having three leaflets, lobes, or foils; trefoil.

Words nearby trifoliate

trifluorochloromethane, trifluralin, trifocal, trifocal lens, trifold, trifoliate, trifoliate orange, trifoliolate, trifolium, triforium, triform

Sometimes tri·fo·li·at·ed [trahy-foh-lee-ey-tid] /traɪˈfoʊ liˌeɪ tɪd/.

Origin of trifoliate

First recorded in 1690–1700; tri- + foliate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for trifoliate

Again, the old furze-bush will have its leaves converted into spines, though the seedling started with a trifoliate leaf.
Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation|James Buckman
The stipules are ovate, larger, veined, and have long points; and each flower-head has a pair of trifoliate leaves at its base.
Field and Woodland Plants|William S. Furneaux
Changed "trifoliate" to "trifoliolate" in the index entry for "Foliolate."
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
His principal sacred tree is the bel tree,2 which has trifoliate leaves, and may have been held sacred on this account.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India--Volume I (of IV)|R.V. Russell

The leaves are trifoliate, though sometimes they grow singly.
The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 13|William Curtis

British Dictionary definitions for trifoliate

trifoliate

trifoliated

/ (traɪˈfəʊlɪɪt, -ˌeɪt) /

adjective

having three leaves, leaflike parts, or (of a compound leaf) leaflets

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012