key¹ /kē, formerly kā/

1. An instrument for locking or unlocking, winding up, turning, tuning, tightening or loosening
2. (in musical instruments) a lever or piston-end pressed to produce the sound
3. A similar lever for other purposes in machines, as in a typewriter, computer or calculator
4. A system of tones definitely related to one another in a musical scale
5. A keynote (obsolete)
6. Something that gives command of anything or upon which success turns
7. A scheme or diagram of explanation or identification
8. A taxonomic system for distinguishing similar species (biology)
9. A set of answers to problems
10. A crib translation
11. A field or group of characters in each record used for sorting and retrieving (computing)
12. That which leads to the solution of a problem
13. A leading principle
14. General tone of voice, emotion, morals, etc
15. A wedge
16. A peg inserted into eg a keyway to prevent relative motion
17. A tapered piece of metal for fixing the boss of a wheel, etc to a shaft
18. A spanner
19. The middle stone of an arch
20. A piece of wood let into another piece crosswise to prevent warping
21. A lever to close or break an electrical circuit
22. A dry winged fruit, eg of ash or maple, often hanging with others in bunches
23. A fret pattern
24. The preparation of a surface to take plaster, glue, etc

1. To provide with a key
2. To lock or fasten with a key (obsolete)
3. To mark the position on the layout of (something to be printed), using symbols (printing)
4. To keyboard
5. To stimulate (to a state of nervous tension and excitement), raise (in pitch or standard), or increase (with up)

1. To attune (with to)
2. To prepare (a surface) eg for plastering
3. To give (an advertisement) a feature that will enable replies to it to be identified
4. To scratch (the paintwork of a car) using a key (informal)

Vital, essential, crucial

keyed adjective

1. Equipped with a key or keys
2. Set to a particular key (music)
3. In a state of tension or readiness

keyˈless adjective

1. Without a key or keys
2. Not requiring a key

keyˈboard noun

1. The manually operated range of keys or levers in a musical instrument, computer, etc (also adjective)
2. (often in pl) usu in pop groups, etc, a musical instrument, esp electronic, incorporating a keyboard

intransitive verb and transitive verb

To type text, etc by means of a keyboard, esp into a computer

keyˈboarder noun

Someone who types text on a keyboard

keyˈboardist noun

A person who plays a keyboard instrument, esp an electronic one

keyˈbugle or keyed bugle noun

A bugle with keys, having a chromatic scale of two octaves

keyˈcard noun

A small usu plastic card, either punched, having a magnetically coded strip or incorporating a microchip, that electronically operates a mechanism, eg a lock or a cash dispenser

keyˈ-cold adjective (Shakespeare)

Cold as a key, lifeless

keyˈ-desk noun

The frame enclosing the keyboards, stops, etc of an organ

keyed bugle see keybugle

keyˈ-fruit noun

A winged fruit of a tree

key grip noun

The chief grip in a film crew

keyˈhole noun

1. The hole in which a key of a lock is inserted
2. Any small hole similar in shape or purpose

keyhole limpet noun

A mollusc (genus Fissurella) with a perforated conical shell

keyhole saw noun

A padsaw (qv under pad¹)

keyhole surgery noun

Surgery using endoscopes, etc, performed through small incisions

key industry noun

An industry indispensable to others and essential to national economic welfare and independence

key light noun

The main light in a TV or film studio or on a stage

keyˈline noun (printing)

An outline drawing showing the shape, size, position, etc of an illustration

keylogging see keystroke logging below.

key man noun

An indispensable worker, essential to the continued conduct of a business, etc

key money noun

A premium, fine or sum additional to rent, demanded for the grant, renewal or continuance of a tenancy

keyˈnote noun

1. The fundamental note or tonic (music)
2. Any central principle or controlling thought

adjective

1. Of fundamental importance
2. (of a speech, etc) expounding the central principle, or setting the tone for a conference, etc

transitive verb and intransitive verb

1. To give the keynote
2. To put forward the central principle in an opening address at a convention

keyˈpad noun

1. A small device with push-button controls, eg a TV remote control unit or pocket calculator
2. A small keyboard with push-button controls for a specific purpose, eg a numeric keypad (computing)

keyˈpal noun (informal)

A person who is mainly or only known to one as an email correspondent

keyˈ-plate noun

A keyhole escutcheon

key punch noun (computing)

An obsolete device operated by a keyboard, which transfers data onto punch-cards, etc

keyˈpunch transitive verb

key ring noun

A ring for holding a bunch of keys

keyˈ-seat noun

A groove for receiving a key, to prevent one piece of machinery from turning on another

key signature noun (music)

The indication of key by marking sharps, flats or naturals where the key changes or at the beginning of a line

key stage noun (education)

Any of the four age-based levels of the National Curriculum in England and Wales

keyˈstone noun

1. The stone at the apex of an arch
2. The chief element
3. Something on which all else depends

transitive verb and intransitive verb

To produce a keystone effect, ie the distortion of a television picture in which a rectangular pattern is transformed into a trapezoidal pattern

keyˈstroke noun

A single operation of a key on a typewriter or other machine using keys

keystroke logging or keyˈlogging noun

The act of recording the keystrokes made by a computer user, eg to detect sources of error or for surveillance

keyˈstroking noun

keyˈway noun

A groove cut in a shaft or boss to accommodate a key that interlocks with another component so as to prevent relative motion

keyˈword noun

1. A headword
2. A word serving as a key in an index, etc
3. A word that encapsulates the passage in which it appears
4. A group of letters or numbers that is used to identify a database record (computing)

keyˈword-in-context adjective

Applied to electronic concordances or indexes that supply the keywords alphabetically in a fixed position in the line, preceded and followed by a fixed amount of context

keyˈworker noun

A person working in the social services who takes responsibility for individual cases and projects

have the key of the door (informal)

To have reached the age of 21

have the key of the street (informal)

1. To be locked out
2. To be homeless

key in (computing)

To enter (data) by operating a keyboard

out of key

1. Out of tune
2. Out of place, incongruous

power of the keys

The power to loose and to bind, conferred by Christ on Peter (Bible, Matthew 16.19), and claimed by the popes

key³ or cay /kē/

A low island or reef

quay /kē/, earlier kay /kā/ and key /kē/

1. A landing-place
2. A wharf for the loading or unloading of vessels

quayˈage noun

1. Provision of quays
2. Space for, or system of, quays
3. Payment for use of a quay

quayˈside noun and adjective

• comether
• come the raw prawn
• comethers
• come through
• come through for
• cometic
• come to
• come to a head
• come to an éclaircissement
• come to blows
• cometographies
• cometography
• come to grief
• come to grips
• come to hand
• come to heel
• come to life
• come to light
• cometologies
• cometology
• come to naught
• come to nothing
• come to oneself
• come to one's hand
• come to one's senses