- clove (n.1)
- dried flowerbud of a tropical tree, used as a spice, late 15c., earlier clowes (14c.), from Anglo-French clowes de gilofre (c.1200), Old French clou de girofle "nail of gillyflower," so called from its shape, from Latin clavus "a nail" (see slot (n.2)). For second element, see gillyflower. The two cloves were much confused in Middle English.
- clove (n.2)
- "slice of garlic," Old English clufu, from Proto-Germanic *klubo "cleft, thing cloven," from PIE *gleubh- "to tear apart, cleave" (see cleave (v.1)). Cognates mostly in compounds that translate as "clove-leek;" e.g. Old Saxon clufloc, Old High German chlobilouh. Dutch knoflook, German knoblauch are by dissimilation.