English

Etymology 1
Old English cæg|cǣġ.

Pronunciation
k�, /ki�/, /ki:
audio|en-us-key.ogg|Audio (US)
Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-i�|-i�

Homophones
cay (one pronunciation), quay

Noun
en-noun

1. An object designed to open and close a lock.
2. An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain the orientation between them.
3. A crucial step or requirement.

#: the key to solving this problem...
#: the key to winning this game

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

#: The key says that A stands for the accounting department.

1. One of several small, usually square buttons on a typewriter or computer keyboard, most of which generally correspond to a particular character.

#: Press the Escape key.

1. One of a number of rectangular moving parts on a piano or musical keyboard, each causing a particular sound or note to be produced.
2. One of various levers on a musical instrument used to select notes, such as a lever opening a hole on a woodwind.
3. music A hierarchical scale of musical notes on which a composition is based

#: the key of B-flat major

1. A device used to transmit Morse code.
2. cryptography A piece of information (e.g. a passphrase) used to encode or decode a message or messages.
3. computing: In a database, a field of a relation constrained to be unique.
4. computing: In a database, a field in a record that is used as a search argument (but is not necessarily unique).
5. computing: A value that uniquely identifies an entry in an associative array.
6. basketball: The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the freethrow line, the freethrow lane having formerly been narrower, giving the area the shape of a skeleton key hole.

#: He shoots from the top of the key.

1. slang: kilogram

Translations

Slovene: klju� m
Spanish: llave f
Swahili: ufunguo, funguo pl (noun 11/14)
Swedish: nyckel c
Tamazight: �ⴰ�ⴰ��� (tasarut) f
Urdu: URchar|تا�� (t�lī) f, URchar|�اب� (��bī) f
trans-bottom

trans-top|object used to maintain the orientation between two others
trans-mid
Russian: �ека (�eká) f, �понка (špónka) f, клин (klin) m
trans-bottom

trans-top|crucial step
Finnish: avain
French: clef f, clé f
German: Schlüssel m
Greek: καί�ιο� (kerios) m, ζ��ικ�� (zotikos) m, βα�ικ�� (vasikos) m, νε��αλγικ�� (nevralgikos) m
Hungarian: kulcs
Japanese � (��, kagi)
trans-mid
Portuguese: segredo m
Russian: кл�� (klju�) m
Spanish: clave f
Swedish: nyckel c
trans-bottom

trans-top|button on a typewriter or computer keyboard
Czech: klávesa f
Danish: tast c
Dutch: toets m
Finnish: näppäin
Frisian: kaai, toets
French: touche f
German: Taste f
Greek: �λήκ��ο (pliktro) n
Hebrew: �קש (makash) m
Hungarian: billentyű
Italian: tasto m
Japanese �� (kī)
Lithuanian: klavišas m
trans-mid
Norwegian<!--do not wikify-->: tast m
Persian: FAchar|ک��د (keleed)
Polish: klawisz m
Portuguese: tecla f
Russian: клави�а (kláviša) f
Slovene: tipka f
Spanish: tecla f
Swedish: tangent, knapp c
trans-bottom

trans-top|part of a piano or musical keyboard
Czech: klávesa f
Danish: tangent c
Dutch: toets m
Finnish: kosketin
French: touche f
German: Taste f
Greek: �λήκ��ο (pliktro) n
Hebrew: ק��� (kalíd) m
Italian: tasto m
Japanese � (�� ken)
trans-mid
Lithuanian: klavišas m
Norwegian<!--do not wikify-->: tangent m
Persian: FAchar|ک��د (keleed)
Polish: klawisz m
Russian: клави�а (kláviša) f
Slovene: tipka f
Spanish: tecla f
Swedish: tangent c
trans-bottom

trans-top|scale of musical notes
Czech: tónina f
Danish: nøgle c
Dutch: toonladder f
Finnish: sävellaji
French: clef f, clé f
German: Tonart f
Greek: κλειδί (klidi) n
Hebrew: �פת� (maftekha) m
trans-mid
Hungarian: hangnem
Japanese 調 (���, ch�)
Persian: FAchar|ک��د (keleed)
Portuguese: clave f
Russian: �онал�но��� (tonál�nost�) f; лад (lad) m
Spanish: clave f
Swedish: tonart c
trans-bottom

trans-top|device used to transmit Morse code
Finnish: avain, morseavain
German: Taste f ?
trans-mid
Swedish: nyckel c, morsenyckel c
trans-bottom

trans-top|cryptography: piece of information used to encode or decode
Czech: klí� m
Danish: nøgle c
Dutch: sleutel m
Finnish: avain, salakirjoitusavain
French: clef f, clé f
Frisian: kaai
German: Schlüssel m
Greek: κλειδί (klidi) n, �α�ακ�ή�α� αναγν��ι�η� δεδομέν�ν (kharaktiras anagnorisis dedomenon) m
Hebrew: �פת� (maftekha) m
Hungarian: kulcs
trans-mid
Lithuanian: raktas m
Norwegian<!--do not wikify-->: nøkkel m
Persian: FAchar|ک��د (keleed)
Portuguese: chave f
Russian: кл�� (klju�) m
Slovene: klju� m
Spanish: clave f
Swedish: nyckel c
trans-bottom

trans-top|computing: field of a database constrained to be unique
Czech: klí� m
Danish: nøgle c
Finnish: avain, avainkenttä
French: clef f, clé f
Frisian: kaai
German: Schlüssel m
trans-mid
Portuguese: chave f
Russian: кл�� (klju�) m
Spanish: clave f
trans-bottom

trans-top|computing: field in a record used as a search argument
Danish: nøgle c
Finnish: avain, avainkenttä
French: clef f, clé f
German: Schlüssel m
Hebrew: �פת� (maftekha) m
trans-mid
Portuguese: chave f
Russian: кл�� (klju�) m
Spanish: clave f
Swedish: nyckel c
trans-bottom

trans-top|computing: value uniquely identifying entry in associative array
Czech: klí� m
Danish: nøgle c
Finnish: avain
French: clef f, clé f
German: Schlüssel m
trans-mid
Hebrew: �פת� (maftekha) m
Hungarian: kulcs
Russian: кл�� (klju�) m
Swedish: nyckel c
trans-bottom

trans-top|in basketball
trans-mid
Portuguese: garrafão f
trans-bottom

trans-top|small guide explaining symbols or terminology
Danish: signaturforklaring c, nøgle c
Finnish: selite, merkkienselite
French: légende f
German: Zeichenerklärung f, Legende f
trans-mid
Russian: кл�� (klju�) m
Spanish: clave f
Swedish: nyckel c
trans-bottom

Translations to be checked
checktrans
ttbc|Bulgarian: кл�� (klju�) m (1, 5), клави� (klaviš) m (3, 4)
ttbc|Hungarian: kulcs (1), billentyű (3, 4)
ttbc|Persian: FAchar|ک��د (kelid)
ttbc|Romanian: cheie f (1), tast� f (3)
ttbc|Slovak: kľú� m (1, 5), kláves m (3, 4)

Adjective
en-adj

1. Indispensable.

#: He is the key player for his soccer team.
#: He is the key witness.

1. Important, salient.

#: She makes several key points

Translations
trans-top|indispensable
trans-mid
Russian: кл��евой (klju�evój)
trans-bottom

trans-top|important
Gaelic: prìomh
trans-mid
Russian: �зловой (uzlovój), ��е�жневой (steržnevój); вед��ий (vedúš�ij)
trans-bottom

Verb
en-verb

1. To fit (a lock) with a key.
2. To fit (pieces of a mechanical assembly) with a key to maintain the orientation between them.
3. (telegraphy and radio telegraphy) To depress (a telegraph key).
4. (radio) To operate (the transmitter switch of a two-way radio).
5. computing: (more usually to key in) To enter (information) by typing on a keyboard or keypad.

#: Our instructor told us to key in our user IDs.

1. colloquial To use a key as a tool of convenience.

#: He keyed the car that had taken his parking spot.

Translations
trans-top|fit (a lock) with a key
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|fit (pieces of a mechanical assembly) with a key
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|telegraphy: depress (a telegraph key)
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|radio: operate (transmitter switch of a two-way radio)
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|computing: enter (information)
Finnish: syöttää, näppäillä, kirjoittaa
trans-mid
Portuguese: digitar
Russian: вводи�� (vvodít�)
trans-bottom

Derived terms
keyboard
keycard
keychain
keyhole
keynote
keypad
keystone
keystroke
keyword
key in
key off
key signature
public-key cryptography
skeleton key

See also
clef
scale

Etymology 2
Variant of cay, from Spanish cayo.

Noun
en-noun

1. (also cay) One of a string of small islands.

#: "the Florida Keys"

Translations
trans-top|small island
Lithuanian: approxim. salel� f
trans-mid
Spanish: cayo m
Swedish: approx. skär n
trans-bottom

Category:1000 English basic words

Kurdish

Soranî Kurdish
rfc-header|Soranî Kurdish

Adverb
key

1. when

ar:key
el:key
es:key
fa:key
fr:key
fy:key
io:key
id:key
it:key
kk:key
ku:key
lt:key
hu:key
nl:key
ug:key
pl:key
ru:key
simple:key
sr:key
fi:key
sv:key
ta:key
te:key
vi:key
tr:key
uk:key
zh:key

• 2008-01-01 20:59 - DCDuring - /* Verb */ sp

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