clave

C3L1A1V4E1
/kleɪv//ˈklɑːveɪ/

noun

A characteristic pattern of beats, especially the 3-2 son clave.

OriginSpanish clave ← Latin clāvis →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

clave1

verb
  1. archaicparticiplepastsimple past and past participle of cleave

    And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ruth 1:14
    3 more examples

    And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 22:3

    Sir Launcelot put his shield afore him, and put the stroke away of the one giant, and with his sword he clave his head asunder.

    1868, Thomas Malory, chapter 11, in Le Morte D'Arthur

    Suddenly a peal of thunder, resonant even above the din of the swinish revelry, clave the very roof and laid a hush of feat upon the boisterous company.

    1917, H. P. Lovecraft, The Tomb

clave2

nounclave (plural claves)

plural claves

  1. singularsingular of claves
nounclave (plural claves)

plural claves

  1. entertainmentA characteristic pattern of beats, especially the 3-2 son clave.

clave3

nounclave (plural claves)

plural claves

  1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of autoclave.
verbclave (third-person singular simple present claves, present participle claving, simple past and past participle claved)

present singular third person claves · participle present claving · participle past claved · past claved

  1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of autoclave.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
autoclave

Origin

clave · noun, noun

  1. Latinclāvis“key”
  2. Spanishclave
  3. Englishclave

From Spanish clave, from Latin clāvis (“key”). Doublet of clavis and clef.

More words from Spanish, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

clave · noun, verb

Clipping of autoclave.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Māori tīare
  • tīarea musical pattern of beats

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with clave

saveavedavewaveslavecavegraveWAVbravefavebehaveraveshavewaivepavecravenavestavesuaveengraveMaeveenslaveknavelave
All rhymes →

Anagrams

calvecavel
Cite this entry
APA

clave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clave

MLA

“clave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clave. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clave,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clave.

Source: clave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.