cinquefoil Hear it!

cinquefoil definition

cinque·foil (siŋk′fo̵il′)

noun

  1. any of a genus (Potentilla) of plants of the rose family, with white, yellow, or red flowers and fruit like a dry strawberry: some species have compound leaves with five leaflets arranged like the fingers on a hand
  2. Archit. a circular design made up of five converging arcs

Etymology: ME cink foil < OFr cinquefoil < It cinquefoglie < L quinquefolium < quinque, five + folium, leaf: see foliate

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

cinquefoil Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • include: High up in Wharfedale the scars and screes support a range of plants including the nationally scarce alpine cinquefoil and hoary whitlowgrass.

Adjective modifier

  • alpine: High up in Wharfedale the scars and screes support a range of plants including the nationally scarce alpine cinquefoil and hoary whitlowgrass.

Modifies a noun

  • tracery: Windows with two-centred arches containing three lights with cinquefoil tracery.

Noun used with modifier

  • marsh: Plants include mosses eg Sphagnum, cotton grass, purple moor grass, cranberry, marsh cinquefoil, marsh violet and round leaved sundew.
cinquefoil usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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"cinquefoil." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/cinquefoil>

APA Style

cinquefoil. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/cinquefoil

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