Definition of "clave" [clave]

• Archaic A past tense of cleave1. (verb)
• Archaic A past tense of cleave2. (verb)
• A cylindrical hardwood stick used in a pair as a percussion instrument. (noun)
• A syncopated two-bar musical pattern. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She said no more at that time; but her word clave to"
• "His sword clave the stoutest armor asunder at a blow."
• "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."