Meaning

42 senses

  1. (countable)An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

    This key is to the backdoor.

    insert the key into the lock (formal); put the key in the lock (informal)

    metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

  2. An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).

    (countable)A card or fob that electronically signals a lock to open.

    My hotel room key is a card.

    The gym will give you a fob that opens the door.

  3. (countable, figuratively)A piece of information (e.g., a password or passphrase) used to encode or decode a message or messages.

    Schlüssel

    ключključ

  4. (Internet, countable)A password restricting access to an IRC channel.

  5. (countable, slang)A key bump (A portion of a recreational drug in powdered form that is snorted from a key or similar small object.)

    I saw him snort a key at the party.

  6. (countable)Any of various tools comparable to a wrench (spanner) or driver, which have a specialized end that matches a fixture, analogously to a lock's key.

    The exterminator will bring a key thingy that can open the bait boxes.

    Safe-deposit boxes open with a special key.

  7. An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.

    A cotter pin.

  8. A piece of wood used as a wedge.

  9. The last board of a floor when laid down.

  10. A keystone.

  11. That part of the plastering which is forced through between the laths and that holds the rest in place.

  12. A wooden wedge, driven sideways between a bullhead rail and a cast-iron chair, to keep the rail securely in position.

Examples

2972 sentences

  1. Where did you find the key?

    Де ви знайшли ключ?

    ruГде ты нашёл ключ?

    deWo hast du den Schlüssel gefunden?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. The key is on the desk.

    Ключ на столі.

    ruКлюч на столе.

    deDer Schlüssel ist auf dem Pult.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Turn the key to the right.

    Поверни ключ направо.

    ruПоверни ключ вправо.

    deDreh den Schlüssel nach rechts.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Where did you find your key?

    Де ти знайшов свій ключ?

    ruГде ты нашёл свой ключ?

    deWo hast du deinen Schlüssel gefunden?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Where did you put my keys?

    Куди ти поклав мої ключі?

    ruКуда ты положил мои ключи?

    deWo hast du meine Schlüssel hingetan?

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 3
device designed to open and close a lock:
part of a piano or musical keyboard:
button on a typewriter or computer keyboard:
Русский
By meaning 7
device designed to open and close a lock:
object used to maintain the orientation between two others:
part of a piano or musical keyboard:
scale of musical notes:
small guide explaining symbols or terminology:
button on a typewriter or computer keyboard:
device used to transmit Morse code:
Deutsch
By meaning 5
device designed to open and close a lock:
part of a piano or musical keyboard:
scale of musical notes:
small guide explaining symbols or terminology:
in basketball:

Origin

From Middle English keye, kaye, keiȝe, from Old English cǣġ (“key, solution, experiment”)

From Middle English keye, kaye, keiȝe, from Old English cǣġ (“key, solution, experiment”) (whence also Scots key and kay (“key”)), from Anglo-Frisian Proto-West Germanic *kaiju, of uncertain origin. The only sure cognates are Saterland Frisian Koai (“key”), West Frisian kaai (“key”), and North Frisian kai, koie (“key”). Possibly from Proto-Germanic *kēgaz, *kēguz (“stake, post, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵogʰ-, *ǵegʰ-, *ǵegʰn- (“branch, stake, bush”), which would make it cognate with Middle Low German kāk (“whipping post, pillory”), and perhaps to Middle Dutch keige (“javelin, spear”) and Middle Low German keie, keige (“spear”).

Variant of cay, from Spanish cayo, from Taíno cayo (“small island”)

Clipping of kilogram or kilo.

Clipping of key position.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: keys

Synonyms

10 synonyms
key fobkeycardanswer keykey-fruitkay
Close in meaning
  • any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music:tonality
  • (basketball) a space (including the foul line) in front of the basket at each end of a basketball court; usually painted a different color from the rest of the court:paint
  • a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida:cayFlorida key
  • United States lawyer and poet who wrote a poem after witnessing the British attack on Baltimore during the War of 1812; the poem was later set to music and entitled ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ (1779-1843):Francis Scott Key

Word family

209 related words
RelatedscaleA2keywaykeyseatkey changekey fobkey signaturepublic-key cryptographyclef
DerivedkeyboardB1keystrokeB2accelerator keyalt keyanswer keyarrow keyautokeybarrel keybeanie keybedkeybis keyboss keybump keybusiness keycard keycar keychange keycheck keychuck keyclustering keycomposite keycompound keycontent keycontrol key

Collocations

12 patterns
  • put the key
  • car keys
  • the key to
  • found the key
  • have a key
  • put his keys
  • lost my keys
  • find my keys
  • found his keys
  • his car keys
  • my car keys
  • have the key

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
ketchupkettleB1keyboardB1keychainkeyhole
key — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto