Clove is a dried flower bud used as a spice, and it also refers to a rounded peg or nodule in anatomy or plant structures. In culinary contexts it delivers a warm, aromatic bite, while in anatomy it can describe a small node or joint-like structure. The term appears in cooking, perfumery, and botany, often linked with strong scent or pungent flavor.
"I stirred a whole clove into the pot to simmer the sauce."
"The dentist said a clove of garlic should be minced finely, not crushed."
"In the garden, I planted a clove as a bud of the eucalyptus tree."
"She wore a necklace with a clove-shaped pendant as a quirky accessory."
Clove comes from Old French clouve, with possible roots in Latin clavus meaning ‘nail, peg’ and Greek klavon, reflecting the clove bud’s hard, nail-like structure. The word entered English in the 14th century, initially referring to a nail-like plug or brass knuckle-like projection in anatomy and botany, before becoming chiefly the spice name. The spice, harvested as the dried flower bud of Syzygium aromaticum, gained widespread usage in medieval and early modern trade, due to its distinctive warmth, aroma, and preservative qualities. The semantic shift from a physical bud/peg to a culinary spice emphasizes the sensory association—strong fragrance, pungency, and aromatic balance—that characterizes clove in recipes and perfumery. First printed attestations date to late medieval English texts, with intensified global trade in the Renaissance expanding its culinary and medicinal significance. Over centuries, “clove” broadened to metaphorical uses (e.g., “clove of the tongue” in old medical texts), but in modern English it remains dominantly tied to the spice and to things resembling a small, bud-like form.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Clove" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Clove"
-ove sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /kloʊv/ in US and /kləʊv/ in UK/AU. Start with a hard /k/ release, then a long diphthong /oʊ/ that slides from an open-mid back vowel to a close-mid position, finishing with /v/. The stress is on the single syllable. Think “klohv.” Visualize the lips slightly rounded for /oʊ/ and keep the bottom teeth lightly touching the top lip for /v/.
Common errors include: 1) shortening the /oʊ/ diphthong to a short /o/ (say “klov” instead of “klohv”); 2) misproducing /v/ as /f/ or a voiceless sound; ensure you voice the final /v/ with vibrating lips; 3) de-voicing the /v/ at the end in fast speech. To correct, enunciate the full /oʊ/ vowel and keep lip contact for /v/, finishing with a voiced bilabial fricative.
US: /kloʊv/ with a clear /oʊ/ diphthong and lax /v/. UK/AU: /kləʊv/ or /kləʊv/ with a slightly more centralized initial vowel and a longer, rounded /əʊ/; rhoticity not affecting the word since it ends in /v/. The main variation is vowel quality: US tends to a back, tight /oʊ/; UK/AU lean toward a broader /əʊ/. Stress remains monosyllabic in all, but vowel quality can change the perceived openness.
The challenge lies in the vowel: /oʊ/ in US vs /əʊ/ in UK/AU, which can be misheard as /kloːv/ or /klɒv/ by learners. The final /v/ requires voicing and lip engagement not always used in surrounding sounds, which can blur into a UV-like /f/. Additionally, the initial /k/ and the following glide require controlled tongue retraction to avoid a clipped or misarticulated vowel.
Yes, 'clove' rhymes perfectly with 'grove' in most varieties of English, sharing the final /oʊv/ rhyme. The leading consonant differs (/kl/ vs /gr/), but the nucleus+coda /oʊv/ is identical, producing true full rhyme. In careful enunciation, ensure the /oʊ/ vowel is consistent with your regional standard, so it matches ‘grove’ exactly in rhythm and sound.
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