A plant or design with five lobes, leaves, or petals arranged in a five-part pattern, widely used in heraldry and architecture.
From Old French cinque (five) + feuille (leaf). The term describes both an actual plant (potentilla) and the ornamental five-lobed design that became hugely popular in medieval heraldry.
Cinquefoil pops up everywhere in medieval art because the five-part design represented divine protection—you see it on shields, stained glass windows, and royal seals across Europe.
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