clave
/kleɪv/
noun
- One of a pair of wooden sticks used as a percussion instrument, struck together to make a sharp clicking sound.
- The musician played the clave rhythm during the salsa song.
- The band started with a simple pattern on the clave.
- He tapped the claves together to keep the beat for the dancers.
- A rhythmic pattern or beat in Latin music, especially salsa, played on the claves or other instruments.
- The clave is the foundation of many Afro-Cuban music styles.
- The drummer emphasized the clave to guide the other musicians.
- She learned to dance to the son clave, a common rhythm in salsa.
Synonyms
verb
- Past tense of cleave (to split or divide); to have split or cut something apart.
- The ancient sword clave the shield during the battle.
- The axe clave the log in two with a single blow.
- The rock clave under the pressure of the glacier.
- Past tense of cleave (to cling or adhere); to have stuck firmly to something.
- The barnacle clave to the hull of the ship.
- She clave to her beliefs despite the criticism.
- The child clave to his mother's hand in the crowded market.