Background for key

key

/kiː/ /ki/

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noun

An object designed to open and close a lock.

Examples :

"The key to the front door was lost, so we couldn't get in. "

item utensil thing essential

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noun

An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.

Examples :

"The lock on my school locker needed a new key to open it. "

technical machine part device essential

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noun

A crucial step or requirement.

Examples :

"The key to solving this problem is persistence."

achievement condition ability essential

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noun

A guide explaining the symbols or terminology of a map or chart; a legend.

Examples :

"The key says that A stands for the accounting department."

geography writing sign communication essential

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noun

A guide to the correct answers of a worksheet or test.

Examples :

"Some students cheated by using the answer key."

education writing essential

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noun

One of several small, usually square buttons on a typewriter or computer keyboard, mostly corresponding to text characters.

Examples :

"Press the Escape key."

technology computing electronics machine item writing communication device essential

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noun

In musical instruments, one of the valve levers used to select notes, such as a lever opening a hole on a woodwind.

Examples :

"The clarinet player pressed the key to change to a higher note. "

music part machine essential

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noun

In instruments with a keyboard such as an organ or piano, one of the levers, or especially the exposed front end of it, which are depressed to cause a particular sound or note to be produced.

Examples :

"The organist pressed the correct key on the pipe organ to play the high C. "

music part organ sound technical device essential

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noun

The lowest note of a scale; keynote.

Examples :

"The key of the song we're learning in music class is C. "

music essential

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noun

In musical theory, the total melodic and harmonic relations, which exist between the tones of an ideal scale, major or minor; tonality.

Examples :

"The song is in the key of C major. "

music theory essential

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noun

In musical theory and notation, the tonality centering in a given tone, or the several tones taken collectively, of a given scale, major or minor.

Examples :

"The piece of music was in the key of C major. "

music essential

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noun

In musical notation, a sign at the head of a staff indicating the musical key.

Examples :

"The music teacher explained that the key of the song was C major. "

music sign essential

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noun

The general pitch or tone of a sentence or utterance.

Examples :

"The key to her presentation was enthusiasm; everyone felt excited about the project. "

language linguistics sound phonetics essential

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noun

A modification of an advertisement so as to target a particular group or demographic.

Examples :

"The marketing team created a key to their advertisement for parents, focusing on the benefits of the new after-school program. "

business communication media essential

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noun

An indehiscent, one-seeded fruit furnished with a wing, such as the fruit of the ash and maple; a samara.

Examples :

"The maple tree produced many keys, which scattered in the wind. "

fruit plant seed biology nature essential

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noun

A manual electrical switching device primarily used for the transmission of Morse code.

Examples :

"The Morse code key was used by the radio operator to send urgent messages to the ship. "

technology communication electronics device signal machine writing history essential

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noun

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

Examples :

"The key to unlocking the secret message was a special passphrase. "

technology computing communication signal essential

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noun

A password restricting access to an IRC channel.

Examples :

"The key to the student forum IRC channel is "secret123". "

internet computing communication essential

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noun

In a relational database, a field used as an index into another table (not necessarily unique).

Examples :

"The student ID number is a key in the student database that links to a separate table containing each student's grades. "

computing technology internet technical essential

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noun

A value that uniquely identifies an entry in a container.

Examples :

"The student's unique ID number is the key to accessing their online school account. "

computing technology essential

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noun

The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line, the free-throw lane having formerly been narrower, giving the area the shape of a skeleton key hole.

Examples :

"He shoots from the top of the key."

sport area essential

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noun

A series of logically organized groups of discriminating information which aims to allow the user to correctly identify a taxon.

Examples :

"The biologist used a key to identify the different types of birds she saw in the park. "

biology science organism nature system essential

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noun

A piece of wood used as a wedge.

Examples :

"The carpenter used a small key to wedge the door shut. "

material part item essential

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noun

The last board of a floor when laid down.

Examples :

"The carpenter carefully laid the key board to finish the floor of the classroom. "

architecture building essential

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noun

Examples :

"The archway's keystone was made of a special, strong stone. "

architecture structure essential

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noun

That part of the plastering which is forced through between the laths and holds the rest in place.

Examples :

"The key of the plaster holds the laths together, creating a solid wall. "

architecture material building essential

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noun

A wooden support for a rail on the bullhead rail system.

Examples :

"The carpenter carefully placed the key under the rail to support it. "

"The carpenter carefully placed the key beneath the rail to support it. "

technical structure machine essential

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noun

The degree of roughness, or retention ability of a surface to have applied a liquid such as paint, or glue.

Examples :

"The door panel should be sanded down carefully to provide a good key for the new paint."

technical material art industry essential

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noun

The thirty-third card of the Lenormand deck.

Examples :

"The key card in my Lenormand reading is the "thirty-third card." "

astrology sign essential

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noun

(print and film) The black ink layer, especially in relation to the three color layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow. See also CMYK.

Examples :

"The printer's key color needs adjustment to create a darker blue. "

color media technical essential

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noun

A color to be masked or made transparent.

Examples :

"The artist used a special key color to make the background of the painting transparent. "

color technical computing media essential

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verb

To fit (a lock) with a key.

Examples :

"The locksmith needs to key the new front door so we can all get in. "

utility property essential

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verb

To fit (pieces of a mechanical assembly) with a key to maintain the orientation between them.

Examples :

"The carpenter keyed the drawer to the cabinet, ensuring it would open and close in the right position. "

technical machine industry part function essential

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verb

To mark or indicate with a symbol indicating membership in a class.

Examples :

"The teacher keyed the students' papers, marking each one with a check mark if they had completed the assignment. "

mark sign essential

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verb

(telegraphy and radio telegraphy) To depress (a telegraph key).

Examples :

"The operator keyed the telegraph to send the urgent message about the school bus delay. "

technology communication electronics essential

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verb

To operate (the transmitter switch of a two-way radio).

Examples :

"To talk to his friend at the park, he keyed the radio transmitter. "

communication technology electronics signal essential

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verb

(more usually to key in) To enter (information) by typing on a keyboard or keypad.

Examples :

"Our instructor told us to key in our user IDs."

computing technology communication internet electronics machine essential

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verb

To vandalize (a car, etc.) by scratching with an implement such as a key.

Examples :

"He keyed the car that had taken his parking spot."

property vehicle essential

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verb

To link (as one might do with a key or legend).

Examples :

"The teacher keyed the different colored shapes on the map to specific types of plants. "

communication technology computing internet essential

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verb

To be identified as a certain taxon when using a key.

Examples :

"Using the plant identification key, the student was able to key the unknown flower as a species of daisy. "

biology organism science essential

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verb

To modify (an advertisement) so as to target a particular group or demographic.

Examples :

"The marketing team keyed the advertisement for student discounts, focusing on language that would appeal to high schoolers. "

media business essential

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verb

To attune to; to set at; to pitch.

Examples :

"The musician needed to key the piano to the correct pitch before the concert. "

music sound essential

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verb

To fasten or secure firmly; to fasten or tighten with keys or wedges.

Examples :

"The carpenter keyed the wooden door shut with a strong metal wedge. "

utility technical action essential

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adjective

Indispensable, supremely important.

Examples :

"He is the key player on his soccer team."

quality value abstract essential

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adjective

Important, salient.

Examples :

"She makes several key points."

quality value essential

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noun

One of a string of small islands.

Examples :

"the Florida Keys"

geography world environment place essential

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noun

A stone or concrete structure on navigable water used for loading and unloading vessels; a wharf.

Examples :

"The cargo ship docked at the key, allowing workers to unload the crates. "

nautical architecture essential

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noun

In the International System of Units, the base unit of mass; conceived of as the mass of one litre of water, but now defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.626 070 15 × 10-34 when expressed in units of kg⋅m2⋅s−1. Symbol: kg

Examples :

"The scientist measured the mass of the sample in kilograms, the key unit of mass in the metric system. "

mass unit physics science essential

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noun

The unit of weight such that a one-kilogram mass is also a one-kilogram weight.

Examples :

"The kilogram is the key unit of weight in the science lab. "

mass physics science unit essential