A highway interchange shaped like a four-leaf clover, with roads curving in a distinctive pattern; also, a four-lobed leaf shape.
Compound of 'clover' (plant name) and 'leaf.' The term became standard in the 1920s-1930s when highway engineers adopted this design, naming it after the four-lobed clover leaf shape.
The cloverleaf highway design was revolutionary because it let traffic move in four directions without lights or flat crossings—it's such a good design that engineers still use it today, nearly 100 years later!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.