"a partition, a dividing band," 1690s, from French cloison, from Vulgar Latin *clausionem (nominative *clausio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin claudere "to close, shut" (see close (v.)). Related: Cloisonnage.
clockwork
clod
cloddish
clodhopper
clog
cloison
cloisonne
cloister
cloistral
clomp
clone