[Represents Anglo-Lat. clavus, Anglo-Fr. clou, both very frequent in laws and ordinances of 13th–15th c. It is thus identical with L. clāvus ‘nail,’ which was also used as a lineal measure (see NAIL); but how the measure and weight were related is not known. Nor does it appear how the Eng. form of the word came to be clove, although its phonetic history may have been parallel to that of CLOVE sb.2
(There can hardly be any connection with Ger. kloben, of flax and wool, Grimm 1218, 8 a-c.)]
A weight formerly used for wool and cheese, equal to 7 or 8 lbs. avoirdupois.
a. 1328. Liber Custumarum (Rolls), 63. Et la trone dount il peserount doit estre de xxii clous. Ibid., 107. Quæ quidem trona continet in se quatuor pisas et quatuor clavos.
1342. Let. Edw. III., in Rymer, V. 327 (Du Cange). Quatuor clavos lanæ.
a. 1419. Liber Albus (Rolls), 227. Mais sil [i.e., sak de leyne] conteigne pluis qe xii clous.
1431. Act 9 Hen. VI., c. 8. Que le poys dune Waye [dune] formage puisse tenir xxxij cloves, cetassavoir chacun clove vij li. par les ditz poisez cochantz.
1542. Recorde, Gr. Artes (1575), 203. In Cheese … the verye weightes of it are Cloues and Weyes: so that a Cloue shoulde contayne 7 pounde.
1588. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1860), II. 163. iij hankes and iiij cloves of yarne 1/8d.
1619. Dalton, Countr. Just., lxv. (1630), 149. A weigh of cheese must containe 32 cloues and every cloue 8.l of averdepois weight.
1708. Kersey, Clove is also a Term us’d in Weights: Thus 7 Pounds of Wooll make a Clove, but in Essex 8 Pounds of Cheese and Butter go to the Clove.
1863. Morton, Cycl. Agric., Weights & Meas. (E. D. S.), Clove of Cheese, 7 lbs., sometimes 8.
