- metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
- something crucial for explaining;
"the key to development is economic integration"
- pitch of the voice;
"he spoke in a low key"
- any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
- a kilogram of a narcotic drug;
"they were carrying two keys of heroin"
- a winged often one-seed indehiscent fruit as of the ash or elm or maple
- 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)
- a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida
- (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"
- a list of answers to a test;
"some students had stolen the key to the final exam"
- a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations
- 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"
- mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock)
- the central building block at the top of an arch or vault
- a lever (as in a keyboard) that actuates a mechanism when depressed
