noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/klɛf/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛf
CMU ARPABET:K L EH1 F
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a musical notation written on a staff indicating the pitch of the notes following it
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: musical notation
Narrower terms: treble clef, treble staff, G clef, bass clef, F clef, alto clef, viola clef, C clef, soprano clef, tenor clef
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French clef, from Latin clāvis (“a key”). Doublet of clave and clavis.
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
sleutel
— musical symbol
Albanian:
çelës
— musical symbol
Arabic:
مِفْتَاح مُوسِيقِيّ
(miftāḥ mūsīqiyy)
— musical symbol
