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

Traffic flows would be safer and faster on a rebuilt I-270, with a smoother link to I-76, combined with modernized interchanges at York Street, Vasquez Boulevard (cloverleaf would be removed), and Quebec/Northfield streets, CDOT planners said. —Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026

Race around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern as fast as possible. —Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1884, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1931, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cloverleaf

• disbelief
• leitmotif
• overleaf
• unbelief
• beef
• brief
• chief
• fief
• grief
• leaf
• lief
• reef

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