cleves

C3L1E1V4E1S1

proper noun

Kleve (a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany).

OriginFrench Clèves ← Old High German Cleve ← Proto-Germanic *klibą →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

cleves1

noun
  1. pluralplural of cleve

Cleves2

proper noun
  1. historicalKleve (a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany).

Origin

  1. GermanKlee“clover”
  2. Proto-Germanic*klibą“cliff”
  3. Old High GermanCleve
  4. FrenchClèves
  5. EnglishCleves

From French Clèves, from Old High German Cleve, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *klibą (“cliff”). Cognate with English cliff. There is no connection with German Klee (“clover”), the clovers in the city's coat of arms being an example of canting arms.

More words from French, Old High German, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

cleves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cleves

MLA

“cleves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cleves. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cleves,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cleves.

Source: cleves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.