quatrefoil

Definitions  ·  Thesaurus  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Comments (1)  ·  translate to:

American Heritage Dictionary (2 definitions)

    –noun
  1. A representation of a flower with four petals or a leaf with four leaflets, especially in heraldry.
  2. Architecture Tracery or an ornament with four foils or lobes.

Century Dictionary (3 definitions)

    –noun
  1. A leaf with four leaflets, as sometimes that of clover.
  2. In architecture, an opening or a panel divided by cusps or foliations into four foils, or, more correctly, the figure formed by the cusps. This ornament resembles the four petals of a cruciform flower, but is certainly not derived from imitation of such a flower. Bands of small quatrefoils are much used as ornaments in the English Perpendicnlar style, and sometimes in the Decorated. The same name is given also to flowers and leaves of similar form carved in relief as ornaments on moldings, etc. See also cut under gallery.
  3. In heraldry, a four-leaved grass, or leaf divided into four leaflets, used as a bearing.

GNU Webster's 1913

WordNet

View all » Examples

 

Record your own »
Pronunciations

/(kătˈər-foilˌ, kătˈrə-)/
ahd pronounces "quatrefoil"
by American Heritage Dictionary

Tags

Sign up or sign in to add tags.

On Twitter

Photos from

spinner

Etymology

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English quaterfoile : Old French quatre, four; see quatrain + Old French foil, leaf; see foil2.
 

Stats

Quatrefoil has been looked up 402 times, favorited 0 times, listed 16 times, commented on once, and has a Scrabble score of 22.

Charts

Occurrences of the word "quatrefoil" per million words:

Chart?cht=lc&chs=300x180&chg=14