Definition of 'key'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense keys
, present participle keying
, past tense, past participle keyed
1. countable noun
A key is a specially shaped piece of metal that you place in a lock and turn in order to
open or lock a door, or to start or stop the engine of a vehicle.
2. countable noun [usually plural]
The keys on a computer keyboard or typewriter are the buttons that you press in order to operate
it.
3. countable noun [usually plural]
The keys of a piano or organ are the long narrow pieces of wood or plastic that you press
in order to play it.
4. variable noun
5. countable noun
The key on a map or diagram or in a technical book is a list of the symbols or abbreviations used and their meanings.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
7. countable noun
8. See also master key
Phrasal verbs:
See key in
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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key
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Video: pronunciation of
key
Word Frequency
key in British English 1
noun
1.
a metal instrument, usually of a specifically contoured shape, that is made to fit a lock and, when rotated, operates the lock's mechanism
4.
any of a set of buttons operating a computer, typewriter, telephone, etc
5.
6.
a. Also called: tonality
b.
the main tonal centre in an extended composition
a symphony in the key of F major
c.
the tonic of a major or minor scale
d. See tuning key
7.
the key to adult behaviour lies in childhood
8.
a means of achieving a desired end
the key to happiness
9.
a means of access or control
Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean
10.
a list of explanations of symbols, codes, etc
14. photography, painting
the dominant tonal value and colour intensity of a picture
See also low-key (sense 3), high-key15. electrical engineering
a.
a hand-operated device for opening or closing a circuit or for switching circuits
b.
a hand-operated switch that is pressed to transmit coded signals, esp Morse code
16.
the grooving or scratching of a surface or the application of a rough coat of plaster, etc, to provide a bond for a subsequent finish
17.
pitch
he spoke in a low key
19.
level of intensity
she worked herself up to a high key
21.
a wedge for tightening a joint or for splitting stone or timber
22. short for keystone (sense 1)
24. (modifier) photography
determining the tonal value of a photograph
aquamarine is an important key tone
adjective
25.
of great importance; crucial
a key issue
verb (mainly tr)
27.
to adjust or fasten with a key or some similar device
28.
to provide with a key or keys
30. (often foll by up)
32.
to include a distinguishing device in (an advertisement, etc), so that responses to it can be identified
33.
to provide a keystone for (an arch)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
keyless (ˈkeyless) adjective
Word origin
Old English cǣg; related to Old Frisian kēi, Middle Low German keie spear
Word Frequency
key in British English 2
noun
a variant spelling of cay
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
Key in British English
noun
John ( Phillip). born 1961, New Zealand politician; prime minister (2008–16)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
key in American English 1
nounWord forms: plural keys
1.
2.
any of several instruments or mechanical devices resembling or suggesting this in form or use
; specif.,a.
a device to turn a bolt, etc.
a skate key, a watch key
b.
a pin, bolt, wedge, cotter, or similar device put into a hole or space to lock or hold parts together
c.
something that completes or holds together the parts of another thing, as the keystone
of an arch or a roughened surface forming a secure base for plaster
d.
e.
a device for opening or closing an electric circuit
3.
something regarded as like a key in opening or closing a way, revealing or concealing,
etc.
; specif.,a.
a place so located as to give access to or control of a region
Vicksburg was the key to the lower Mississippi
b.
a thing that explains or solves something else, as a book of answers, the explanations on a map, the code to a system
of pronunciation, etc.
c.
a controlling or essential person or thing
4.
tone of voice; pitch
5.
a.
tone or style of thought or expression
in a cheerful key
b.
relative intensity of feeling
low-key remarks on a volatile subject
7. US, Basketball
8. Biology
an arrangement or listing of the significant characteristics of a group of organisms, used as a guide for taxonomic identification
10. Computing
a field in a record, used to uniquely identify that record
adjective
12.
controlling; essential; important
a key position
verb transitiveWord forms: keyed or ˈkeying
13.
to fasten or lock with a key or wedge
14.
to furnish with a key
; specif.,a.
to put the keystone in (an arch)
b.
to provide with an explanatory key
15.
to regulate the tone or pitch of
17.
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME keye < OE cæge, akin to OFris kei, kēia, to secure, guard; (sense 7) < keyhole, its former shape
Word Frequency
key in American English 1
(ki) (noun plural keys, verb keyed, keying)
noun
1.
a small metal instrument specially cut to fit into a lock and move its bolt
2.
any of various devices resembling or functioning as a key
the key of a clock
3. See key card
6.
something that affords a means of clarifying a problem
7.
a book, pamphlet, or other text containing the solutions or translations of material given elsewhere, as testing exercises
8.
a systematic explanation of abbreviations, symbols, etc., used in a dictionary, map, etc
pronunciation key
Compare legend (sense 4)9.
10.
one of a set of marked parts, designated areas, or levers pressed in operating a typewriter,
computer terminal, calculator, etc
11.
a manually operated lever for opening and closing an electric circuit, used to produce
signals in telegraphy
12. Music
a. (in a keyboard instrument)
one of the levers that when depressed by the performer sets in motion the playing
mechanism
c.
the relationship perceived between all tones in a given unit of music and a single
tone or a keynote; tonality
d.
the principal tonality of a composition
a symphony in the key of C minor
e.
the keynote or tonic of a scale
13.
tone or pitch, as of voice
to speak in a high key
14.
mood or characteristic style, as of expression or thought
He writes in a melancholy key
15.
degree of intensity, as of feeling or action
16.
a pin, bolt, wedge, or other piece inserted in a hole or space to lock or hold parts
of a mechanism or structure together; a cotter
17.
18.
a contrivance for grasping and turning a bolt, nut, etc
19. Computing
a field or group of characters within a record that identifies the record, establishing
its position among sorted records, and/or provides information about its contents
20. (in a series of advertisements or announcements soliciting replies)
a unique code inserted for each medium used, to determine the relative effectiveness of the
media
21. Electricity
a.
a device for opening and closing electrical contacts
b.
a hand-operated switching device ordinarily formed of concealed spring contacts with an exposed handle or push button, capable of switching one or more parts of a circuit
22. Biology
a systematic tabular classification of the significant characteristics of the members of a group of organisms
to facilitate identification and comparison
23. (in masonry)
the wedge-shaped piece at the summit of an arch, regarded as holding the other pieces in place; keystone
25. (in masonry and carpentry)
a wedge, as for tightening a joint or splitting a stone or timber
27. Building
any grooving or roughness applied to a surface to improve its bond with another surface
29. Photography
the dominant tonal value of a picture, a high-key picture having light tonal values
and minimal contrast and a low-key picture being generally dark with minimal contrast
30. Painting
the tonal value and intensity of a color or range of colors
Rembrandt's colors are characterized by their low key
32. (cap)
a member of the House of Keys
33. See keys
34. See power of the keys
adjective
35.
chief; major; important; essential; fundamental; pivotal
a key person in the company
key industries
transitive verb
36.
to regulate or adjust (actions, thoughts, speech, etc.) to a particular state or activity;
bring into conformity
to key one's speech to the intellectual level of the audience
37. Music
to regulate the key or pitch of
38. Painting
a.
to paint (a picture) in a given key
39.
to fasten, secure, or adjust with a key, wedge, or the like, as parts of a mechanism
40.
to provide with a key
41. (in the layout of newspapers, magazines, etc.)
to identify, through signs or symbols, the positions of illustrations or pieces of copy in a dummy
42.
to lock with or as if with a key
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME key(e), kay(e), OE cǣg, cǣge; c. OFris kei, kai]Word Frequency
key in American English 2
(ki)
nounWord forms: plural keys
a reef or low island; cay
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1690–1700; ‹ Sp cayo, prob. ‹ Arawak]Word Frequency
key in American English 3
(ki)
nounWord forms: plural keys
slang
a kilogram of marijuana or a narcotic drug
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1965–70, Amer.; shortening and resp. of kilogram]Examples of 'key' in a sentence
key
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Word lists with
key
terms used in botanyQuick word challenge
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Question: 1
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Which term used in botany am I?
the thin wire, usually tungsten, inside a light bulb that emits light when heated to incandescence by an electric current
Which term used in botany am I?
the green pigment of plants and photosynthetic algae and bacteria that traps the energy of sunlight for photosynthesis and exists in several forms, the most abundant being chlorophyll a (C55H72O5N4Mg): used as a colouring agent in medicines or food (E140)
Which term used in botany am I?
one of a pair of crescent-shaped cells that surround a pore (stoma) in the epidermis. Changes in the turgidity of the cells cause the opening and closing of the stoma
Which term used in botany am I?
any of the hollow hairlike outgrowths of the outer cells of a root, just behind the tip, that absorb water and salts from the soil
Which term used in botany am I?
a solution of mineral salts, sugars, etc, that circulates in a plant
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Trends of
key
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In other languages
key
British English: key
/kiː/ NOUN
computer, instrument The keys on a computer or instrument are the buttons that you press on it.
- American English: key /ˈki/ computer
- Arabic: مِفْتَاحٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: tecla
- Chinese: 按键
- Croatian: tipka
- Czech: klávesa
- Danish: tast
- Dutch: toets muziek/computer
- European Spanish: clave
- Finnish: näppäin
- French: touche
- German: Taste
- Greek: πλήκτρο
- Italian: tasto
- Japanese: キー music/computer
- Korean: 키 자물쇠
- Norwegian: tangent
- Polish: klawisz muzyka/komputer
- European Portuguese: tecla
- Romanian: tastă
- Russian: клавиша
- Latin American Spanish: tecla
- Swedish: knapp tangent
- Thai: ปุ่มกด
- Turkish: tuş bilgisayar/piyano
- Ukrainian: клавіша
- Vietnamese: phím
British English: key
/kiː/ NOUN
for lock A key is a piece of metal that opens or closes a lock.
They put the key in the door and it opened.
- American English: key /ˈki/ for lock
- Arabic: مِفْتَاحٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: chave
- Chinese: 钥匙
- Croatian: ključ
- Czech: klíč
- Danish: nøgle
- Dutch: sleutel
- European Spanish: llave
- Finnish: avain
- French: clé serrure
- German: Schlüssel
- Greek: κλειδί
- Italian: chiave
- Japanese: 鍵 for lock
- Korean: 열쇠
- Norwegian: nøkkel
- Polish: klucz do zamykania
- European Portuguese: chave
- Romanian: cheie
- Russian: ключ
- Latin American Spanish: llave
- Swedish: nyckel
- Thai: กุญแจ
- Turkish: anahtar kilit
- Ukrainian: ключ
- Vietnamese: chìa khóa
British English: key
ADJECTIVE /kiː/
The key person or thing in a group is the most important one.
He is expected to be the key witness at the trial.
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Definition of key from the Collins English Dictionary
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