# clef

> English word · Noun · IPA /klɛf/ · frequency rank #56,015

## Definitions
1. A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff

## Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French clef, from Latin clāvis (“a key”). Doublet of clave and clavis.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/clef