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key

  • noun
  • kē

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).

Example

“This key is to the backdoor.”

Other meanings

  1. A card or fob that electronically signals a lock to open.

  2. A piece of information (e.g., a or ) used to encode or decode a message or messages.

Kinds of key

  • ignition key
  • master key

Example sentences

  • “Press the right arrow key to continue.”

    Tatoeba · shekitten · CC0

  • “I accidentally locked my keys in the car.”

    Tatoeba · ddnktr · CC0

  • “Crisis planning is key to minimizing damage.”

    Tatoeba · Igider · CC0

Word history

From Old English "cǣġ" (key, solution, experiment).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “key” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.