Quatrefoil

//kætɹəˌfɔɪl// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A symmetrical shape that forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter.

    "It was a narrow, gravelled island we had to lie on, guarded by glazed brick chimneys and, running along the sides, a prickly little gothic fence of iron finials and terracotta quatrefoils."

  2. 2
    A stylized flower or leaf with four lobes.

Example

More examples

"It was a narrow, gravelled island we had to lie on, guarded by glazed brick chimneys and, running along the sides, a prickly little gothic fence of iron finials and terracotta quatrefoils."

Etymology

From Old French quatrefoil, from quatre (“four”) + foil (“leaf”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.