Key

Table of contents

1 English 1.1 Noun 1.1.1 Translations 1.2 Adjective 1.3 Transitive verb 1.4 Related terms

English

1. An object designed to fit and open 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

4. the key to winning this game
5. One of several small, usually square buttons on a typewriter or computer keyboard, most of which generally correspond to a particular letter of the alphabet, numeral, or special symbol

   Press the Escape key.

6. One of a number of rectangular buttons on a piano or musical keyboard, each causing a particular sound or note to be produced.
7. A device used to transmit Morse code.
8. (cryptography) A piece of information (e.g. a passphrase) used to encode or decode a message.
9. (database) A field of a relation constrained to be unique
10. (database) A field in a record that is used as a search argument (not necessarily unique)
11. A scale of musical notes on which a composition is based

    The key of B-flat major

12. (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.

13. One of a string of small islands (
    "the Florida Keys".

• Bulgarian: ключ m (1, 5), клавиш m (3, 4)
• Czech: klíč m (1, 5), klávesa f (3, 4)
• Dutch: sleutel m (1), toets m (3)
• Finnish: avain (1), näppäin (3), kosketin (4)
• French: clef f, clé f (1, 2, 3); touche f (4)
• Frisian: kaai (1, 3), knop (3)
• German: Schlüssel m (1, 5); Taste f (3, 4)
• Hebrew: מפתח m (1)
• Hungarian: kulcs (1), billentyű (3, 4)
• Italian: chiave f (1); tasto m (3, 4)
• Japanese: 鍵 (かぎ, kagi) (1), 鍵 (けん, ken) (3, 4)
• Romanian: cheie f (1), tastă f (3)
• Russian: ключ (1), клавиша (3, 4)
• Slovak: kľúč m (1, 5), kláves m (3, 4)
• Spanish: llave f (1); tecla (3, 4)
• Swedish: nyckel (1), tangent (3)

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

   Key in your user ID

2. (telegraphy and radio telegraphy) To depress a telegraph key.
3. (radio) To operate the transmitter switch of a two-way radio.
4. To fit a lock with a key.
5. To fit pieces of a mechanical assembly with a key to maintain the orientation between them.

1. (computing) To take as a controling input datum

   This logic keys off of the user's social security number