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
Image of
key
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Video: pronunciation of
key
Word Frequency
key in British English 1
noun
1.
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.
tuning key
7.
the key to adult behaviour lies in childhood
8.
a means of achieving a desired end
the key to happiness
10.
a list of explanations of symbols,
codes, etc
15. electrical engineering
a.
a hand-operated device for opening or closing a circuit or for
switching circuits
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)
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
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.
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
16.
to bring into
harmony or accord
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
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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Which term used in botany am I?
the main central part of a plant, typically consisting of the stem and root, from which secondary branches and other parts develop
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(of certain plants) pollinated by wind-borne pollen
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the receptive surface of a carpel, where deposited pollen germinates
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a female sex organ, occurring in mosses, spore-bearing vascular plants, and gymnosperms, that produces a single egg cell in its swollen base
Which term used in botany am I?
a fleshy underground stem (as in the potato) or root (as in the dahlia) that is an organ of vegetative reproduction and food storage
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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 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: ปุ่ม
- 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 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
The key person or thing in a group is the most important one.
He is expected to be the key witness at the trial.
Nearby words of
key
Source
Definition of key from the
Collins English Dictionary
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