Cloves

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kləʊvz/

Definitions

1. Aromatic flower buds from a tropical tree, widely utilized as a spice for their distinct flavor and strong scent in various cuisines
2. Dried flower buds harvested from a tropical evergreen tree, used primarily for their potent flavor and fragrance in cooking and traditional medicine
3. The aromatic flower buds of a tree from the family Myrtaceae, commonly employed in culinary practices for seasoning and in preserving due to their strong aroma

Etymology: The spice and the garlic segment share a name by accident of shape. The spice comes from Latin "clāvus", meaning "nail," because the dried flower bud looks like a small nail. Old French took the Latin word into "clou de girofle" ("nail of clove-gillyflower"), and English borrowed only the first part, shortening it to "clove" in Middle English. Latin "clāvus" and "clāva" ("knotty branch, club") are close relatives, and the English word is a doublet of "clou" and "clavus," meaning two forms of one root that entered the language by different routes. The garlic segment is a separate word altogether. Old English "clufu" meant a split or segment, and it is related to "clēofan," "to cleave, split." Garlic bulbs divide into these natural sections, which is why the same spelling now covers both a seasoning and a piece of garlic. The two words only converged in form by chance.

Synonyms: spices, seasonings, aromatics