Forms: 1 fífléafe, 3 fiflef, 4 fivelef, 5 filife, 6 fyvelefe, 7 fiveleafe. [OE. fífléafe wk. fem., f. fíf FIVE + léaf LEAF.] The plant cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans).

1

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., II. 72. Þa wyrt þe hatte fifleafe.

2

c. 1265.  Gloss. Names Plants, in Rel. Ant., I. 36/2. Quinquefolium … fiflef.

3

c. 1425.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 645. Pentifolium, filife.

4

1562.  Turner, Herbal, II. 110 b. Quinquefolium is named in … English … herbe fyuelefe.

5

1579.  Langham, Gard. Health, Fiueleafe. The root boyled in water … helpeth the raging ach of the teeth.

6

1884.  Syd. Soc. Lex., Five-leaf, the potentilla reptans, from its five leaflets.

7