Link Centre Dictionary

Also Inflected form of cleave

cleft

UK/ˈklɛft/ US/ˈkʰl̥ɛft/ uncommon
noun (2) adjective (2)

noun

1.

a split or indentation in something (as the palate or chin)

2.

adjective

1.

used of hooves

Synonyms
Similar
2.

having one or more incisions reaching nearly to the midrib

Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From Middle English clift, from Old English ġeclyft, from Proto-West Germanic *klufti, from Proto-Germanic *kluftiz, equivalent to cleave + -t (“-th”). Compare Dutch klucht (“coarse comedy”), Swedish klyft (“cave, den”), German Kluft. See cleave.

Phrases

  • anal cleft
  • chin cleft
  • cleft chin
  • cleft foot
  • cleft grafting
  • cleft habitus
  • cleft lip
  • cleft of Venus

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.