Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Obsolete preterit of cleave or cleave.
  • noun A kind of stool used by ship-carpenters.
  • noun A graft; a scion.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • obsolete imp. of cleave.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb archaic, obsolete Simple past tense and past participle of cleave.
  • noun music One half of a set of claves, a percussion instrument consisting of two sticks, one of which is used to strike the other.
  • noun music A characteristic pattern of beats, especially the 3-2 son clave.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Spanish clave, from Latin clāvis ("key").

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Examples

  • She said no more at that time; but her word clave to

    The Water of the Wondrous Isles 2007

  • His sword clave the stoutest armor asunder at a blow.

    Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 1 of 8 A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History 1906

  • And for that word, when he came to the crown indeed, and ruled wide lands, was he called Child Christopher; and that name clave to him after he was dead, and but a name in the tale of his kindred.

    Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair 1895

  • And when Sir Mordred felt he had his death wound, he raised himself up and struck King Arthur such a blow that the sword clave his helmet, and then fell stark dead on the earth again.

    The Book of Romance Andrew Lang 1878

  • And for that word, when he came to the crown indeed, and ruled wide lands, was he called Child Christopher; and that name clave to him after he was dead, and but a name in the tale of his kindred.

    Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair William Morris 1865

  • Dancers sweating, moving their feet and swinging their hips around the floor to the "clave" rhythm of the percussion beats, beautiful young couples, contented middle-aged couples, single women dancing with one another or alone, single men on the sidelines watching the women and enjoying the pyrotechnical skills of the band.

    Pamela Mays McDonald: Campaign Journal: Young San Francisco Does Its Part for Obama While Dancing 2008

  • Ruth and Naomi (the word "clave" is used to describe their relationship, which is exactly the same word used in describing husband-wife relationships); David and Jonathan; and Daniel and Ashpenaz (the Hebrew describing their relationship is chesed v'rachimin-chesed translates as "mercy" but v'rachimin, which is used in a plural form suggesting more than one of its usual meanings, which includes "physical love").

    Dangerous Intersection 2008

  • Eurosistema … sin alejarse de la participación equivalente a la "clave" del Banco de España en el capital del BCE ".

    A Fistful Of Euros » A Fistful Of Euros 2010

  • Persona, cosa o hecho clave y fundamental dentro de un ámbito o contexto.

    Hito 2009

  • Persona, cosa o hecho clave y fundamental dentro de un ámbito o contexto.

    Hito 2009

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