| 释义 |
cleft
I. \ˈkleft\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: alteration of Middle English clift, from Old English geclyft; akin to Old Saxon kluht tongs, Old High German kluft gap, tongs, Old Norse Kluftir, a place name, Old English clēofan to split — more at cleave
1.
a. : a space or opening made by or as if by splitting : split, cleavage, indentation
< a spring bubbling out of a cleft in the rock >
b. : an abrupt defile, chasm, or cut
< a cleft in the mountains >
c. : a usually V-shaped indented formation : a hollow between ridges or protuberances
< the anal cleft of the human body >
d. : the hollow space between the two branches of the frog or the frog and bars or between the bulbs of the heel of a horse's hoof
e. : a crack on the bend of the pastern of a horse
f. : a wide, deep, or insurmountable division (as of belief or opinion)
< a cleft opened between sacred and profane science, which has not yet been closed — W.R.Inge >
2. : a piece or part separated by or as if by cleaving : division; specifically : a division of the cleft foot of an animal
Synonyms: see crack
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from the past participle of cleven to cleave (split)
1. : split or divided for a part of the depth or length : formed with a partial division
< his nose ends in a puggy knob, cleft at the tip — N.M.Clark >
2. of a leaf : divided about halfway to the midrib often with narrow lobes or sinuses — compare divided, parted
•
- in a cleft stick |