Definition

1. Noun:
   • A spice from the dried, unopened flower bud of the clove tree: A pungent, aromatic spice used whole or ground in cooking and baking.
   • A small section of a larger bulb, as in garlic: One of the small, separable segments that make up a head of garlic.
   • An evergreen tree (Syzygium aromaticum) cultivated for its flower buds: A tropical tree whose dried flower buds are the source of the spice called cloves.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Spice):
  • The recipe calls for two whole cloves.
  • Ground clove is a key ingredient in pumpkin pie spice.
• Noun (Garlic segment):
  • Peel and finely chop three cloves of garlic.
  • A single clove of garlic can be quite potent.
• Noun (Tree):
  • The clove is native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia.

Advanced Usage

• "Clove of": Used as a unit of measurement, especially for garlic.
  • Add a clove of garlic to the sauce for extra flavor.

Variants and Related Words

• Clove hitch (n): A type of knot used to secure a rope to a post or pole.
• Clove oil (n): An essential oil distilled from clove buds, used in dentistry and aromatherapy.

Synonyms

• Garlic clove: Specifically for the segment of garlic.
• Spice bud: For the dried flower bud used as a spice.

Related Phrases

• "Stuck a clove in an orange": A traditional practice, often associated with pomanders or holiday decorations.
  • The children made ornaments by sticking cloves into oranges.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word 'clove' is also the simple past tense of the verb 'to cleave', meaning to split or sever. However, this is a separate lexical entry and not related to the noun definitions above.
  • Example (Verb, past tense): He clove the log in two with a single stroke.

Noun

1. spice from dried unopened flower bud of the clove tree; used whole or ground
2. one of the small bulblets that can be split off of the axis of a larger garlic bulb
3. moderate sized very symmetrical red-flowered evergreen widely cultivated in the tropics for its flower buds which are source of cloves
4. aromatic flower bud of a clove tree; yields a spice