clave

[klah-vey]

noun

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.

Origin of clave

1925–30; American Spanish, Spanish: keystone < Latin clāvis key

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for claves

Historical Examples of claves

The head of the table was occupied by the Reverend when he was at home and by Claves when the Reverend was away.
The Conquest
Oscar Micheaux
I made no complaint, nor did I write to Claves to inquire why he had ceased writing.
The Conquest
Oscar Micheaux
But Claves' name was not on the contract for the home, only her father's name appearing.
The Conquest
Oscar Micheaux
That was on Tuesday following, after Claves had tried every trick and failed to get Ethel away.
The Conquest
Oscar Micheaux
From Austria the clavichord as it was usually called in those days (because it had claves or keys) went to Italy.
The Story of Mankind
Hendrik Van Loon

British Dictionary definitions for claves

clave

noun

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

Word Origin for clave

C20: from American Spanish, from Latin clavis key

clave

verb

archaic a past tense of cleave 1

clave

noun

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

Word Origin for clave

C19: from Latin clāva club

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

Word Origin and History for claves

pair of hardwood sticks used in making music, 1928, from American Spanish claves (plural), from Spanish clave "keystone," from Latin clavis "key" (see slot (n.2)).