KEY





Definition:

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

  2. [noun] something crucial for explaining; "the key to development is economic integration"

  3. [noun] pitch of the voice; "he spoke in a low key"

  4. [noun] any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
    Synonyms: tonality

  5. [noun] a kilogram of a narcotic drug; "they were carrying two keys of heroin"

  6. [noun] a winged often one-seed indehiscent fruit as of the ash or elm or maple
    Synonyms: samara, fruit

  7. [noun] 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)
    Synonyms: Key, Francis Scott Key

  8. [noun] a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida
    Synonyms: cay, Florida s

  9. [noun] (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; "he hit a jump shot from the top of the key"; "he dominates play in the paint"
    Synonyms: paint

  10. [noun] a list of answers to a test; "some students had stolen the key to the final exam"

  11. [noun] a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations

  12. [noun] a generic term for any device whose possession entitles the holder to a means of access; "a safe-deposit box usually requires two keys to open it"

  13. [noun] mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock)
    Synonyms: winder

  14. [noun] the central building block at the top of an arch or vault
    Synonyms: stone, headstone

  15. [noun] a lever that actuates a mechanism when depressed

  16. [verb] identify as in botany or biology, for example
    Synonyms: identify, discover, out, distinguish, describe, name

  17. [verb] provide with a key; "We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building"

  18. [verb] vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key; "His new Mercedes was keyed last night in the parking lot"

  19. [verb] regulate the musical pitch of

  20. [verb] harmonize with or adjust to; "key one's actions to the voters' prevailing attitude"

  21. [adjective] serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"
    Synonyms: cardinal, central, fundamental, primal

  22. [adjective] effective; producing a desired effect; "the operative word"
    Synonyms: operative

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