trefoil

English

Trifolium repens

Architectural trefoil

Etymology

From Middle English trefoil, borrowed from Old French trifoil, trefeul, from Latin trifolium, from tri- (“three”) + folium (“leaf”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɛ.fɔɪl/, /ˈtɹiː.fɔɪl/

Noun

trefoil (plural trefoils)

1. Any of several plants of the pea family, having compound, trifoliate leaves; especially one of the genus Trifolium.
2. A symbol having the shape of such leaves, especially when used as an architectural ornament.
   • 2015, New Historian, "Ancient Pitcher Discovered in Historic Danish City", by David DeMar, 16 June 2015

     "The pristine, unbroken condition of the vessel – sometimes called a trefoil jug – caused the entire dig to 'come to a halt,' Søvsø remarked."

3. (topology) Ellipsis of trefoil knot..

Coordinate terms

• quatrefoil
• cinquefoil
• hexafoil
• sexfoil
• octofoil
• multifoil
• polyfoil

Derived terms

• bean trefoil

Translations

plant

• Armenian: երեքնուկ (hy) (erekʻnuk)
• Czech: trojlístek m
• Danish: trekløver c
• Esperanto: trifolio
• Finnish: kolmiapila
• French: trèfle (fr) m
• Georgian: სამყურა (ka) (samq̇ura)
• German: Klee (de) m, Dreiblatt n
• Ido: trifolio (io)
• Latin: trifolium n
• Norman: trêfl'ye dg'ieau m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: شبدر (fa) (šabdar)
• Polish: koniczyna (pl) f
• Portuguese: trifólio m, trevo (pt) m
• Romanian: trifoi (ro)
• Russian: трили́стник (ru) (trilístnik), кле́вер (ru) m (kléver)
• Scottish Gaelic: seamrag f, barra-mhìslein m
• Spanish: trébol (es) m
• Tagalog: klober
• Ukrainian: трили́сник m (trylýsnyk)
• Vietnamese: cây chia ba

symbol

• Czech: trojlist m
• Finnish: apilanlehti, kolmiapila
• German: Dreipass (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: трили́стник (ru) m (trilístnik)
• Spanish: trébol (es) m

Anagrams

• loftier