LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

clāva

clāva f (genitive clāvae)
Classical[ˈkɫaː.wa]Ecclesiastical[ˈklaː.va]

Meaning

  1. a club, cudgel

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

baculum grave et nōdōsum, arma Herculis
clāva -ae (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 18

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeclāvaclāvae
genitiveclāvaeclāvārum
dativeclāvaeclāvīs
accusativeclāvamclāvās
ablativeclāvāclāvīs
vocativeclāvaclāvae

clāva, ae, f. root cel- of percello; cf. Gr. κλάω and clades.
I. A knotty branch or stick, a staff, cudgel, club: adfer duas clavas... probas, Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 20; Lucr. 5, 968: sternentes agmina clavā, Verg. A. 10, 318; Curt. 9, 4, 3; Ov. F. 1, 575; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 94; Plin. 19, 1, 3, § 18; a bar, lever, Cato, R. R. 13, 1.—As a weapon for exercising, used by young men, and esp. by soldiers, a foil, Cic. Sen. 16, 58; Veg. Mil. 1, 11.—As a badge of Hercules, Prop. 4 (5) 9, 39; Ov. H. 9, 117; id. M. 9, 114; 9, 236; * Suet. Ner. 53; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 62 Müll.—Hence, prov., clavam Herculi extorquere, for an impossible undertaking, Macr. S. 5, 3; Don. Vit. Verg.— Also Clava Herculis, a plant, otherwise called nymphea, Marc. Emp. 33.—
II. In the lang. of economy, a graft, scion, Pall. Mart. 10, 12 and 13; cf. clavula.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *klāwā, from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat, break”). Cognate with Latin clādes, percellō, gladius. Unrelated to clavicula, clavis or clavus.

Descendants
  • Italianclava
  • Portugueseclava
  • Spanishclava

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesClavaClava (ῥόπαλον, κορύνη), a club. The shape of the club is seen in works of art relating to Hercules, who is usually represented with a club (Soph. Tra…

Quick answers

What does clāva mean in Latin?
clāva, a noun, means “a club, cudgel”.
What is the genitive of clāva?
The genitive singular is clāvae. clāva is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce clāva?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɫaː.wa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈklaː.va].