An individual bulblet that forms part of a larger compound bulb, enclosed in its own papery skin. In commercial agriculture, cloves are the primary means of vegetative propagation for crops like garlic and shallots. A single clove planted in the fall will divide and swell to produce an entire new multi-clove bulb by the following summer.
Heard on the job
Make sure you plant the clove pointed side up, or the shoot will have to curl around and you'll get a deformed bulb.
Insider tip
Always separate the bulb into individual cloves right before planting; doing it too early causes them to dry out and lose viability.