Illustration of cloverleaf
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plural cloverleafs
ˈklō-vər-ˌlēfs 
or cloverleaves
ˈklō-vər-ˌlēvz
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Ten years later, at the age of 68, Burger set a record as the oldest woman world champion barrel racer, coaxing her beloved steed, Mo, in a cloverleaf pattern around a trio of barrels and consistently finishing the loop in less than 18 seconds.
—Chris La Tray, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022
The docking station is powered by a substantial power brick which can accept voltages from 100–240V and uses a detachable cloverleaf-style cable.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2022
Fans will be permitted to park in the centerfield lot and will have access to, at a minimum, the cloverleaf fields on the northeast portion of the complex.
—Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2022
The test reactor's unique cloverleaf design includes a core that's surrounded by beryllium metal to reflect the neutrons.
—Keith Ridler, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021
Diverging diamond interchanges are designed to be safer and take up less space than cloverleaf designs.
—Mary Wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, 11 June 2017
John Flesher, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—CBS News, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2023
Engines increased in displacement over the years, and the 3.0-liter V-8 in the Tipo 33/3 matched Alfa’s cloverleaf with Porsche’s 908 and Ferrari’s 312P.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2022
The new version of the park is tucked inside the concrete outline of a cloverleaf, a nod to the leprechaun colony that lives there, according to legend.
—oregonlive, 19 Jan. 2022
Now the community around the Cobb cloverleaf is in the spotlight, thanks to the Braves’ title run.
—Tim Tucker, ajc, 6 Nov. 2021
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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
Ten years later, at the age of 68, Burger set a record as the oldest woman world champion barrel racer, coaxing her beloved steed, Mo, in a cloverleaf pattern around a trio of barrels and consistently finishing the loop in less than 18 seconds.
—Chris La Tray, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022
The docking station is powered by a substantial power brick which can accept voltages from 100–240V and uses a detachable cloverleaf-style cable.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2022
Fans will be permitted to park in the centerfield lot and will have access to, at a minimum, the cloverleaf fields on the northeast portion of the complex.
—Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2022
The test reactor's unique cloverleaf design includes a core that's surrounded by beryllium metal to reflect the neutrons.
—Keith Ridler, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021
Diverging diamond interchanges are designed to be safer and take up less space than cloverleaf designs.
—Mary Wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, 11 June 2017
Noun
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—CBS News, 1 Mar. 2023
The sanctuary area was something of a maritime highway cloverleaf.
—John Flesher, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2023
Engines increased in displacement over the years, and the 3.0-liter V-8 in the Tipo 33/3 matched Alfa’s cloverleaf with Porsche’s 908 and Ferrari’s 312P.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2022
The new version of the park is tucked inside the concrete outline of a cloverleaf, a nod to the leprechaun colony that lives there, according to legend.
—oregonlive, 19 Jan. 2022
Now the community around the Cobb cloverleaf is in the spotlight, thanks to the Braves’ title run.
—Tim Tucker, ajc, 6 Nov. 2021
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cloverleaf.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near cloverleaf
Cite this Entry
“Cloverleaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloverleaf. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.
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
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