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clavier

noun
cla·​vier | \ klə-ˈvir How to pronounce clavier (audio) ; ˈklā-vē-ər How to pronounce clavier (audio) , ˈkla-\

Definition of clavier

1 : the keyboard of a musical instrument
2 [ German Klavier, from French clavier ] : an early keyboard instrument
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Other Words from clavier

clavierist \ klə-​ˈvir-​ist How to pronounce clavierist (audio) ; ˈklā-​vē-​ə-​rist , ˈkla-​ \ noun
clavieristic \ klə-​ˌvi-​ˈri-​stik How to pronounce clavieristic (audio) ; ˌklā-​vē-​ə-​ˈri-​stik , ˌkla-​ \ adjective

Examples of clavier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 His immaculate Bach playing has long served as a hallmark of the pianist’s artistry, and his F minor concerto stood as a model of how to make music written for clavier work convincingly on a modern instrument. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Schiff moves with conviction from piano bench to CSO podium," 3 Nov. 2017 Among the boy’s notable skills was the capacity to perform brilliantly on the clavier, even when the keyboard was covered with a cloth. — Jonathan Rosenberg, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Mozart: The Man Revealed' explores a life infused with as much drama as any opera," 8 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clavier.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of clavier

1694, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for clavier

French, from Old French, key bearer, from Latin clavis

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Time Traveler for clavier

The first known use of clavier was in 1694

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Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with clavier

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clavier

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