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Synonyms

clave

1 American  
[kleyv] / kleɪv /

verb

Archaic.

  1. simple past tense of cleave.

clave 2 American  
[klah-vey] / ˈklɑ veɪ /

noun

  1. one of a pair of wooden sticks or blocks that are held one in each hand and are struck together to accompany music and dancing.

clave 1 British  
/ kleɪv, klɑːv /

noun

  1. music one of a pair of hardwood sticks struck together to make a hollow sound, esp to mark the beat of Latin-American dance music

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
clave 2 British  
/ kleɪv /

verb

  1. archaic a past tense of cleave 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
clave 3 British  
/ kleɪv /

noun

  1. zoology a clublike thickening at the upper end of an organ, esp of the antenna of an insect

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clave

First recorded in 1925–30; Latin American Spanish, Spanish: “keystone,” from Latin clāvis “key”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hints of Cuban clave rhythms, Tin Pan Alley harmonies, Jewish melodies and piano licks swim through its overarching Romantic theme.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

Y algunas empresas de criptomonedas que consideran que la regulación es clave para la legitimidad lo agradecerían.

From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2022

But Mark Morris, perched on a stool and clacking out the rhythm with a pair of clave sticks, finds plenty to quarrel with as he oversees this rehearsal of his new work.

From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2022

De acuerdo con directivos de Langebio, pertenece también a varios comités clave de la institución, incluyendo uno que evalúa el desempeño de otros investigadores principales.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 5, 2021

She felt as if her tongue clave to the roof of her mouth.

From On the Heights A Novel by Auerbach, Berthold

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.