sb. (a.) Forms: α. 5–7 trifolie, 5 tryfolye, 5–6 -foly, 6 -folly, 6–7 (9 arch.) trifoly. β. 5 treyfoyle, (iij.foill), 6 treifoile; traif-, treff-, (terf-, treef-), tryfoyle; 6–7 tri-, tre-, -foil(e, -foyl(e, 7 trey-, (tree-) foile, 5– trefoil. γ. 5 trey-, trayfole, (6 -folde), 6–7 trifole, 7 trifol, tre-fole. See also TREFLE. [The α-forms appear to be directly ad. L. trifolium, f. tri- three + folium leaf, whence Sp. trifolio, It. trifoglio; the β-forms, from AF. trifoil (c. 1265 in Wr.-Wülcker, 556/33): cf. late OF. trefeuil, -feul (15th c. in Godef.), Pr. trefueil. The Fr. form trèfle represents a late L. *trifolum: cf. the γ-forms.]
1. A plant of the genus Trifolium, having triple or trifoliate leaves; a clover: commonly applied to species or varieties other (esp. smaller) than those cultivated under the name of ‘clover’; often to the yellow-flowered T. minus, and also to the similar Medicago lupulina.
α. a. 1450. Stockh. Med. MS., II. 666, in Anglia, XVIII. 323. Of trifolie ȝif þou take þe jows.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 5. Ye lefe [of Fenegreke] is lyke vnto trifoly.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., I. xv. 94. Another kinde of Trifoly with long red blossomes.
1840. Browning, Sordello, III. 2. Braid moon-fern now with mystic trifoly.
β. c. 1400. Three Kings Cologne, 92. Þe leuys be liche treyfoyles.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 701. For wonte of gresse, on trefoil let hem byte.
1552. Huloet, Trifoyle herbe, trifolium.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. 45. The best hearbe for Pasture or Meddowe, is the Trefoyle or Clauer.
1601. Chester, Love’s Mart. (1878), 82. Sweete trefoile, Weed-wind, the wholesome Wormewood … Stone hearts tongue, Blessed thistle, and Sea Trifoly.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. x. (1660), 146. The Treefoile is accounted the Husbandmans Almanack, because when it shutteth in the leaves it foretelleth raine.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 120. Those useful grasses, the clovers and trefoils.
1815. Elphinstone, Acc. Caubul (1842), I. 387. They first soil them [horses] with trefoil, and then give them lucerne.
1830. Withering’s Brit. Plants (ed. 7), III. 854, note. [St. Patrick] plucking a Trefoil, and thereby illustrating the mystery of the Trinity in Unity. Ibid. Hence originated the custom of wearing the Shamrock, (a bunch of Trefoil) on the anniversary of that Saint [Patrick]
γ. [c. 1420. Trayfole: see 3.]
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 376. As salfe … as sleeping in the grasse Trifole, where … no serpent dare venture.
1670. Evelyn, Sylva (ed. 2), 3. The Tre-fole or Clover.
† b. gen. Any plant with trifoliate leaves, as wood-sorrel. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, 68. Panis cuculi alleluya, i wodsour, is a treyfole growyng vnder buschez … a ful sour herbe.
c. With defining words, applied to particular species of Trifolium, or to plants of other genera having triple leaves, or otherwise resembling trefoil.
Bird’s-foot trefoil, a book-name for Lotus corniculatus and other species. Bitumen or bituminous trefoil, Psoralea bituminosa, a S. European evergreen shrub. Bog trefoil, Menyanthes trifoliata. Hare’s-foot trefoil, Trifolium arvense. Honeysuckle trefoil, a former name for the white and red clovers (Trifolium repens and T. pratense). Hop trefoil: see HOP sb.1 4 b. Meadow trefoil, Purple trefoil, T. pratense, also the wild T. medium. † Sea trefoii (trifoly), a name given by Turner to Astragalus Glaux. Shrub trefoil, the same as TREE-TREFOIL; formerly also identified with Cytisus, and by some applied to Yellow Jasmine; also to the Shrubby Trefoil of N. America. Shrubby trefoil, in Gerarde, app. the same as prec.; now the N. American hop-tree, Ptelea trifoliata; sometimes vaguely applied to other shrubby plants with trifoliate leaves. † Sour trefoil, an old name for wood-sorrel. Strawberry-bearing or Strawberry-headed trefoil, the strawberry clover, Trifolium fragiferum. Sweet trefoil: see quot. 1884. Thorny trefoil, a thorny shrub of the genus Fagonia, esp. F. cretica. Water trefoil, Menyanthes trifoliata. White trefoil, white or Dutch clover. Yellow trefoil, any yellow-flowered species of Trifolium, as T. procumbens; also Medicago lupulina. Zigzag trefoil, Trifolium medium. See also BEAN-TREFOIL, HEART t., MARSH t., MELILOT t., MILK-t., MOON-t., SNAIL t., TICK t., TREE-TREFOIL.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 330. *Bird’s foot Trefoil, Lotus.
1833. [see BIRD’S-FOOT 2].
1658. Rowland, Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 1063. Take seed of ‘bituminous Trifoly.
1884. Miller, Plant-n., Psoralea bituminosa, Bitumen Trefoil. Ibid., Menyanthes trifoliata,… *Bog-Trefoil,… Marsh Trefoil, Water Trefoil.
1867. Babington, Man. Brit. Bot. (ed. 6), 85. T[rifolium] arvense … *Hare’s-foot Trefoil.
1763. Museum Rust., I. 27. The sweet white-flowered, or *honeysuckle, trefoil.
1796. [see HONEYSUCKLE 8].
1707. Mortimer, Husb. (1721), I. 41. The Yellow *Hop Trefoil.
1855–. [see HOP sb.1 4 b].
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, IV. xxxvi. 495. *Medow Trefoyle, or Common Trefoyle.
1785. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxv. (1794), 367. *Purple Trefoil. Honeysuckle Trefoil, or Red Clover.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, 40. Glaux … may be called in englishe *sea Trifoly.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, III. xiv. 1128. Or the *shrub Trefoile,… most do call it Cytisus, but we had rather name it Trifolium fruticans.
1640. Parkinson, Theat. Bot., 1466. Shrub Trefoile or the ordinary yellow Iasmine.
1771. J. R. Forster, Flora Amer. Septentr., 6. Ptelea trifoliata. Shrub trefoil. Virginia.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, III. xi. 1122. The first kinde of Cytisus or *Shrubbie Trefoile. Ibid., xiv. 1129.
1866. Treas. Bot., 936. P[telea] trifoliata, the Shrubby Trefoil of North America, is frequently grown in shrubberies.
1884. Sargent, Rep. Forests N. Amer., 31. Hop tree. Shrubby Trefoil. Wafer Ash.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, IV. xliii. 503. This herbe is called … in English Wood-sorel,… *Sower Trifoly.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), II. 430. Oxalis Acetosella … Wood Sorrel … Sour Trefoil.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. 10. One species, bears … it’s seeds aggregated into the form of a strawberry, from which it derives the botanic name of trifolium fragiferum, the *strawberry-bearing trefoil.
1884. Miller, Plant-n., Melilotus cœrulea, *Sweet Trefoil.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 330. *Thorny Trefoil, of Candia, Fagonia.
1860. Mayne, Expos. Lex., Marsh Trefoil, *Water Trefoil, common names for the Menyanthes trifoliata, or buckbean.
1785. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxv. (1794), 367. *White Trefoil, commonly called Dutch clover, has a creeping perennial stem…. The *Yellow Trefoil, cultivated under this name, or that of Nonesuch.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 191. Some from amidst the daisies gleaned The yellow trefoil.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), III. 651. *Zigzag Trefoil,… Tr. medium.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXV. 211/1. [T. medium] can be recognised by its zigzag stem, from which … it is sometimes called Zigzag Trefoil.
† 2. A set or rosette of three leaves; the first three leaves of a young plant. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 623. To make hem [mustard and colewort] hoor as frost … Let grounden glas go syfte on hem aboute, When theyr trefoyl or quaterfoyl is owte.
3. An ornamental figure representing or resembling a trifoliate leaf; spec. in Arth. an ornament with an opening divided by cusps so as to present or suggest the figure of a three-lobed leaf. (Cf. CINQUEFOIL, QUATREFOIL.)
1418. E. E. Wills (1882), 36. Wroght wit mapil leues and fret of .iij.foill.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 510 (Thornton MS.). Trayfolede with trayfoles, and trewluffes by-twene.
1536. in Antiq. Sarisb. (1771), 198. Four Basons,… with Trifoils within pounced and chased in the midst with a Falcon of Gold.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 207. A cote of greate riches, in braides of golde laied lose on Russet Veluet and set with Traifoyles, full of pearle and stone.
1551. Sir J. Williams, Accompte (Abbotsf. Cl.), 76. Another paier of candelstickes chased withe trayfoldes.
1842–76. Gwilt, Encycl. Archit., Gloss., Trefoil, in Gothic architecture, an ornament consisting of three cusps in a circle.
1863. Sir G. G. Scott, Glean. Westm. Abb. (ed. 2), 38. The tracery is not only in circles, but in quatrefoils and trefoils.
b. Her. A bearing conventionally representing a clover-leaf with its stalk; resembling a small cross with rounded leaves or lobes in place of the three upper arms.
1562. Leigh, Armorie, 172 b. He bearethe Or, a Treffoyle, doble, slepped vert.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xvi. (1634), 206. Hee beareth Argent: a Cheveron Azure between 3 Treyfoiles Vert. The Treyfoile is the Herald of the Spring and the first grasse that appeareth; hereupon it was the Embleme of Hope.
c. 1828. Berry, Encycl. Her., I. Gloss., Trefoil, or Three-leaved Grass. This bearing often occurs in coat-armour.
4. fig. A set of three closely united.
1826. Scott, Mal. Malagr., i. 48. One leaf of the holy Trefoil—one distinct and component part of the United Kingdoms.
1827. Carlyle, Germ. Rom., IV. 47. Among the children … Wilhelm noticed Felix; the other two were the Angels of last night. The friendly trefoil came running towards him.
5. as adj. Three-leaved; consisting of three leaflets or lobes; having the figure of a trefoil or clover leaf; furnished with such figures.
1752. H. Walpole, Lett. (1845), II. 440. A beautiful tomb, all in our trefoil taste.
1785. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxv. (1794), 350. They are ternate, trefoil, or three-leaved.
1874. Parker, Goth. Archit., I. iv. 151. Small trefoil arches … between the corbels.
6. attrib. and Comb., as trefoil head, juice, leaf, seed; trefoil-headed, -like, purpled adjs.; trefoilwise adv.; trefoil burnet, trefoil green, moths of which the larvæ feed on trefoil.
1825. Owen & Blakeway, Hist. Shrewsbury, II. 88. Six narrow pointed arches,… decorated with *trefoil heads.
1874. Parker, Goth. Archit., I. iv. 134. A window of two *trefoil-headed openings.
1619. Sir A. Gorges, trans. Bacon’s De Sap. Vet., 30. The Goate … doth greedily aspire To haue the *trifol iuyce passe downe her throate.
1758. Mrs. Delany, in Life & Corr. (1861), III. 504. The receipt for tooth-ache is, ‘Little *trefoil leaves, primrose leaves and yarrow pounded.’
1911. Encycl. Brit., XX. 399/2. The wood-sorrel, a small stemless plant with radical *trefoil-like leaves.
1782. J. Scott, Elegy, iii. The fragrant *trefoil-purpled field.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 79. *Trefoil-seed, 2 d. per pound.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Mistletoe, Its flowers grow by three and three, *trefoil-wise.
1889. Q. Jrnl. Geol. Soc., Feb., 64. Groups of three globulites massed trefoilwise.
