clove hitch

noun

ˈklōv- How to pronounce clove hitch (audio)
: a knot securing a rope temporarily to an object (such as a post or spar) and consisting of a turn around the object, over the standing part, around the object again, and under the last turn see knot illustration

Examples of clove hitch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sailors are familiar with the clove hitch, bowline and cleat hitch. — Charles Choi, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2017 Lay the poles beside each other, and tie a clove hitch around one of the outer poles, about 6 inches from the end. — The Editors, Field & Stream, 5 June 2020 The clove hitch is useful for attaching a rope onto a carabiner, or tying in at an anchor. — Chris Brinlee Jr., Outside Online, 16 Mar. 2016 Mosquitoes filled the air as Alex Contreras, 14, taught two girls, Ellen Hossain, 11, and Charlotte Young, 9, how to tie a clove hitch knot around a long wooden stick. — Author: Samantha Schmidt, Kayla Epstein, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cloven, clove divided, from past participle of clevien to cleave

First Known Use

circa 1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clove hitch was circa 1769

Rhymes for clove hitch

See All Rhymes for clove hitch

Browse Nearby Words

clove gillyflower
clove hitch
clove hook
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clove hitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clove%20hitch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on clove hitch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clove hitch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All