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.]

1

  A cleft, fissure, parting: † a. the ‘fork’ of the legs; = CLEAVING vbl. sb.1 2, CLEFT 2 (obs.); b. the cleft of a tree, where the branches part; c. ‘a cleft between adjacent hills’ (Jam.); = CLOVE sb.4

2

c. 1538.  Lyndesay, Syde Taillis, 80. Consider giue thare & Cloiffis be clene.

3

a. 1605.  Montgomerie, Flyting, 60. Whether thou wilt … kisse all cloffes that stands beside.

4

1789.  D. Davidson, Seasons, 43 (Jam.). There, in the claff O’ branchy oak … The ring-dove has her nest.

5

1808.  Jamieson, Cloff, the cleft of a tree.

6

1865.  Cornhill Mag., 38. The North-countryman … talks of the clough [error for cloff or cluff] of the tree.

7


  Clof, obs. form of clove, pa. t. of CLEAVE v. and of CLOVE sb.1

8