cloverleaf

1 of 2

adjective

clo·​ver·​leaf ˈklō-vər-ˌlēf 

: resembling a clover leaf in shape

cloverleaf

2 of 2

noun

plural cloverleafs ˈklō-vər-ˌlēfs  or cloverleaves ˈklō-vər-ˌlēvz 

: an interchange between two major highways that allows traffic to change from one to the other without requiring any left turns or crossings and that from above resembles a 4-leaf clover

Illustration of cloverleaf

Examples of cloverleaf in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Our small group ventures into three days’ worth of driving activities, which use a cloverleaf approach of individual journeys that loop back to the Amangiri at the end of the day. —Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2022

In barrel racing—which is widely considered rodeo’s slickest event, and also one of its most dangerous—riders steer their horses at lighting speeds in a cloverleaf pattern around barrels. —Rose Minutaglio, ELLE, 12 Sep. 2022

Noun

While the old cloverleaf interchange may look simpler, the new DDI design will improve traffic flow onto the interstate and increase safety around the area, particularly pedestrian safety, according to WisDOT's informational video. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2024

In America, horror is a cloverleaf: at once a bound reality and a recurring spectacle, shared and remixed online, appropriated and made a fool of by soulless pundits on Fox News. —Jason Parham, WIRED, 28 May 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1884, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1931, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cloverleaf

noun

clo·​ver·​leaf

-ˌlēf

plural cloverleafs

-ˌlēfs

or cloverleaves

-ˌlēvz

: a road plan that resembles a four-leaf clover in shape and is used for passing one highway over another and turning traffic onto connecting roadways which branch only to the right and lead around in a circle to enter the other highway from the right