llave

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin clāvis, clāvem (“key”).

Noun

llave f (plural llaves)

1. key

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin clāvis (“key”), from Proto-Italic *klāwis, of ultimately Proto-Indo-European origin. Doublet of clave. Cognate with English clef.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈʝabe/ [ˈɟ͡ʝa.β̞e]

• IPA^(key): (most of Spain and Latin America) /ˈʝabe/ [ˈɟ͡ʝa.β̞e]
• IPA^(key): (rural northern Spain, Andes Mountains, Philippines) /ˈʎabe/ [ˈʎa.β̞e]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /ˈʃabe/ [ˈʃa.β̞e]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈʒabe/ [ˈʒa.β̞e]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abe
• Syllabification: lla‧ve

Noun

llave f (plural llaves)

1. key (to open doors)
2. key (of musical instrument)
3. key (in heraldry)
4. spanner, wrench
5. faucet, tap, water tap, spigot

   Synonyms: grifo, canilla, paja, pluma

6. curly bracket ({ and })
7. switch (a device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow)

   Synonym: interruptor

8. (wrestling) hold (position or grip used to control the opponent)
9. (uncountable) a game where a small metal disc is thrown at a small metal structure

Derived terms

• agarrar llave
• ama de llaves
• bajo llave
• capitán de llaves
• corneta de llaves
• debajo de llave
• debajo de siete llaves
• doblar la llave
• echar la llave
• falsear la llave
• Lallave
• llave ajustable
• llave Allen
• llave allen
• llave de chispa
• llave de cierre
• llave de contacto
• llave de entrada
• llave de la mano
• llave de la vida
• llave de loba
• llave de paso
• llave de tuerca
• llave en mano
• llave fija
• llave francesa
• llave grifa
• llave inglesa
• llave maestra
• llave maya
• llave stillson
• llave stilson
• llave sueca
• llavero
• llaves de la Iglesia
• torcer la llave

 

Related terms

• clave
• clavero
• clavija
• llavín

 

Descendants

• → Bikol Central: lyabe
• → Cebuano: yabe
• → Tagalog: liyabe, yawe

Further reading

• “llave”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28

Anagrams

• valle