cleft
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With his left hand he held a long stick, cleft at one end, and in the cleft was a letter Come here, Stomp," said Bessie, and as she spoke a wild hope shot across her heart like a meteor across the night: perhaps the letter was from John The dog obeyed her unwillingly enough, for evidently he did not like that Kafir; and when he saw that Stomp was well out of the way the Kafir himself followed.
View all »Definitions (28)
American Heritage Dictionary (5)
- verb A past tense and a past participle of cleave1.
- adjective Divided; split.
- adjective Botany Having indentations that extend about halfway to the center, as in certain leaves.
Century Dictionary (17)
GNU Webster's 1913 (3)
WordNet (3)
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View all » Examples
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With his left hand he held a long stick, cleft at one end, and in the cleft was a letter Come here, Stomp," said Bessie, and as she spoke a wild hope shot across her heart like a meteor across the night: perhaps the letter was from John The dog obeyed her unwillingly enough, for evidently he did not like that Kafir; and when he saw that Stomp was well out of the way the Kafir himself followed.
— Jess -
This cleft is the gorge which to-day is called Cañon de las Bocas.
— The Delight Makers -
This cleft is the only entrance to a valley three or four miles long, which lies in the very heart of the mountains.
— Views a-foot -
Inside the cleft was a second guidance mark, which pointed right up it with the tip somewhat elevated, as if the spot indicated were above the level of the ground.
— The Lost World -
In the cleft was a kind of curious snow, dry like sand, creaking and binding together under foot -- amazingly like pounded ice.
— Bog-Myrtle and Peat Tales Chiefly of Galloway Gathered from the Years 1889 to 1895
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View all »Etymologies (4)
American Heritage Dictionary (1)
- Middle English, past participle of cleven, to split; see cleave1. N., from Middle English, alteration (influenced by cleft) of clift, from Old English geclyft; see gleubh- in Indo-European roots.
Century Dictionary (2)
GNU Webster's 1913 (1)
WordNet
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Pronunciations
/ (klĕft)/
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American Heritage Dictionary