key
kee
- n metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
- n something crucial for explaining
the key to development is economic integration - n pitch of the voice
he spoke in a low key - n any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
- n a kilogram of a narcotic drug
they were carrying two keys of heroin - n a winged often one-seed indehiscent fruit as of the ash or elm or maple
- n 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)
- n a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida
- n (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 - n a list of answers to a test
some students had stolen the key to the final exam - n a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations
- n 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 - n mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock)
- n the central building block at the top of an arch or vault
- n a lever (as in a keyboard) that actuates a mechanism when depressed
- v identify as in botany or biology, for example
- v provide with a key
We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building - v vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key
His new Mercedes was keyed last night in the parking lot - v regulate the musical pitch of
- v harmonize with or adjust to
key one's actions to the voters' prevailing attitude - s serving as an essential component
- It's been nine decades since Turkish soldiers kept the peace in the Holy Land, but their return may be key to calming Israeli-Palestinian hostility.