Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Split; divided.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Divided; parted; split; riven.
  • In heraldry See sarcelled.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • past participle from cleave, v. t.
  • past participle to reveal a devilish character, or betray an evil purpose, notwithstanding disguises, -- Satan being represented dramatically and symbolically as having cloven hoofs.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Past participle of cleave
  • adjective Split or divided.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (used of hooves) split, divided

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word cloven.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • You could see the impression of Milton's cloven backside in the leather upholstery. Tessie filled this hollow with throw pillows in order to see over the steering wheel.

    —Jeffrey Eugenides, 2002, Middlesex, p. 516

    August 17, 2008

  • "(Alarum far off.)

    Hark you far off!

    There is Aufidius; list what work he makes

    Amongst your cloven army."

    - William Shakespeare, 'The Tragedy of Coriolanus'.

    August 28, 2009

  • Angels appear from the broken sky:

    "Still through the cloven skies they come,

    With peaceful wings unfurled;"

    From the hymnal, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, from a poem by the same name.

    January 21, 2012

  • sarceled. Pig butchery seems to dominate the visuals provided.

    February 12, 2013