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Showing results for clave. Search instead for Glave.
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.

Twitter también dejó de pagar un software de detección considerado clave para sus esfuerzos.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023

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

Los organizadores se dieron cuenta de que conecciones directas y basadas en confianza eran la clave para hacer contacto con personas que eran “difíciles de alcanzar”, dijo Pérez.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2021

None was so honored as I, and the heart of my lord clave unto me with love.

From A Maid at King Alfred?s Court by Madison, Lucy Foster

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.