clover
UK[ˈkləʊvə(r)]US[ˈkloʊvər]
n
A small wild plant with leaves that have three rounded parts and sweet-smelling purple, pink, or white flowers.
Etymology
The word 'clover' has a direct lineage from the Old English 'clāfre'. This Old English term is related to Dutch 'klaver' and German 'Klee', all pointing to a common Germanic root. The ultimate origin is uncertain, but it is a deeply rooted plant name in the Germanic languages. The modern spelling stabilized in Middle English, and the word has consistently referred to this common pasture plant, famous for its three-part leaves, since its earliest recorded use.
Analysis
This is a simplex word. It is a loanword from Old English 'clāfre', which is of Germanic origin. The word's form is not productively built from separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
A bee was buzzing over a patch of white clover.
Finding a four-leaf clover is considered a sign of good luck.
The field was covered in a carpet of green clover.