cleft
cleft — noun
- cleftsingular
- cleftsplural
1. A narrow gap or split that forms naturally in stone, earth, or similar hard surf
A narrow gap or split that forms naturally in stone, earth, or similar hard surfaces.
Yumi found a narrow cleft in the cliff and peered inside.
adjective + noun: narrow cleft
Water trickled through a deep cleft in the limestone rock.
The hikers squeezed through a narrow cleft between two huge boulders.
A small tree had taken root inside a cleft of the granite wall.
The earthquake opened a wide cleft across the dry riverbed.
- solid
a surface with no breaks or openings
文法句型
cleft + in + noun phrase
用法筆記
Commonly paired with a prepositional phrase using 'in', 'between', or 'across' to specify the location of the opening.
常見錯誤
2. A small, V-shaped hollow or groove on a surface, especially on a person's chin o
A small, V-shaped hollow or groove on a surface, especially on a person's chin or the roof of the mouth.
Nikos had a small cleft on his chin that deepened when he smiled.
compound noun: cleft chin
The doctor explained that the baby could have surgery to repair the cleft palate.
compound noun: cleft palate
Tariro noticed a tiny cleft on the surface of the old wooden table.
Vinícius traced the V-shaped cleft on the back of a wooden armchair.
Lucas touched the little cleft on his chin and remembered his grandfather had one too.
- indentation
more general; any inward curve or hollow on a surface
- groove
a long, narrow cut or channel, often linear rather than V-shaped
- hollow
a sunken area or depression in a surface
- bump
a raised area on a surface
文法句型
cleft + noun (compound)
adjective + cleft
用法筆記
Cleft chin and cleft palate are established compound nouns that refer to specific human features — these should be learned as fixed expressions.
常見錯誤
cleft — adjective
- cleftpositive
- cleftercomparative
- cleftestsuperlative
1. Describes a hard object that has a split or partial division running through it.
Describes a hard object that has a split or partial division running through it.
The cleft rock showed layers of grey and brown stone inside.
attributive use: cleft + noun
Asher pointed at the cleft branch that hung dangerously over the path.
The cleft panel in the old wooden door let in a thin sliver of light.
Mayumi bought a ceramic bowl with a cleft rim at the weekly craft market.
文法句型
cleft + noun
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively before a noun (attributive position) to describe an object that has been partly split — never used after a linking verb like 'is' or 'feels'.