1
: a space or opening made by or as if by splitting : fissure
2
: a usually V-shaped indented formation : a hollow between ridges or protuberances
the anal cleft of the human body
: partially split or divided
specifically
: divided about halfway to the midrib
a cleft leaf
Synonyms
Examples of cleft in a Sentence
Noun
The river begins as a trickle of water from a cleft in the rock.
He has a distinctive cleft in his chin.
Recent Examples on the Web
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2024
And a deep cleft, like something left by a hatchet,
above the bridge of my nose.
—Forrest Gander, The New York Review of Books, 12 Sep. 2024
Ani Freedman, Fortune Well, 16 Oct. 2024
Primary’s Johns said such critiques ignore the psychosocial issues children with cleft deal with.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleft 
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Noun
This bacteria is commonly carried in the nostrils, between the legs, in the armpits, and in the cleft between the buttocks.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2024
And a deep cleft, like something left by a hatchet,
above the bridge of my nose.
—Forrest Gander, The New York Review of Books, 12 Sep. 2024
Adjective
When spaces are left between the arches, certain branchial anomalies like branchial cleft cysts can develop.
—Ani Freedman, Fortune Well, 16 Oct. 2024
Primary’s Johns said such critiques ignore the psychosocial issues children with cleft deal with.
—Megan Rose, ProPublica, 6 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleft
Dictionary Entries Near cleft
Cite this Entry
“Cleft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleft. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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Medical Definition
cleft
noun1
: a usually abnormal fissure or opening especially when resulting from failure of parts to fuse during embryonic development
2
: a usually V-shaped indented formation : a hollow between ridges or protuberances
the anal cleft of the human body
3
: the hollow space between the two branches of the frog or the frog and bars or between the bulbs of the heel of a horse's hoof
4
: a crack on the bend of the pastern of a horse
5
: a division of the cleft foot of an animal
6
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