▪ I. clof, cloff Sc. and north. dial.
In 6 pl. cloiffis, 7 pl. cloffes, 8 Sc. claff.
[Cf. ON. klof the cleaving or fork of the legs; klofi a cleft or rift in a hill, corresp. to OLG. kloƀo, OHG. chlobo a cleft; f. weak grade of kleuƀ- to cleave. The latter would more properly give clōve, the former cloff; the vowel of the dial. word is doubtful.]
A cleft, fissure, parting: † a. the ‘fork’ of the legs; = cleaving vbl. n.1 2, cleft 2 (obs.); b. the cleft of a tree, where the branches part; c. ‘a cleft between adjacent hills’ (Jam.); = clove n.4
| c 1538 Lyndesay Syde Taillis 80 Consider giue thare Cloiffis be clene. a 1605 Montgomerie Flyting 60 Whether thou wilt..kisse all cloffes that stands beside. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 43 (Jam.) There, in the claff O' branchy oak..The ring-dove has her nest. 1808 Jamieson, Cloff, the cleft of a tree. 1865 Cornhill Mag. 38 The Northcountryman..talks of the clough [error for cloff or cluff] of the tree. |
▪ II. clof
obs. form of clove, pa. tense of cleave v. and of clove n.1