clover Low-growing annual, biennial, and perennial plants, native to temperate Europe, but now found throughout warmer regions of the n Hemisphere. The leaves have three leaflets, rarely four, and the dense flower clusters are white, red, purple, pink or yellow. Some species are grown for cattle, others by beekeepers as a source of nectar. Most species are good nitrogen-fixers, due to bacteria in their root nodules, which help to enrich soil. Family Fabaceae/Leguminosae; genus Trifolium. See also nitrogen cycle; nitrogen fixation

clo·ver / ˈklōvər/ • n. a herbaceous plant (genus Trifolium) of the pea family that has dense, globular flowerheads and leaves that are typically three-lobed. It is an important and widely grown fodder.PHRASES: in clover in ease and luxury.

clover OE. clāfre = (M)LG., Du. klāver :- Gmc. *klaibrōn, the first syll. of which corr. to OS. klē, OHG. klēo (G. klee) :- WGmc. *klaiwa clover. The common XV–XVII var. claver may repr. OE. clǣfre, or may be of LG. or Du. orig.

clover a plant whose leaves which are typically three-lobed; a four-leaved clover is a traditional symbol of luck.
in clover in ease and luxury. This sense of the phrase, dating from the early 18th century, refers to clover's being particularly attractive to livestock.

clover See TRIFOLIUM.