American English pronunciation
How to pronounce keys
IPA transcription: ['kiz]
Hear “keys” pronounced
['kiz]
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['kiz]
Quality: 1.00
['kiz]
Quality: 1.00
Noun
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metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
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something crucial for explaining
“the key to development is economic integration”
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pitch of the voice
“he spoke in a low key”
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any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
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a kilogram of a narcotic drug
“they were carrying two keys of heroin”
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a winged often one-seed indehiscent fruit as of the ash or elm or maple
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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)
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a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida
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(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”
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a list of answers to a test
“some students had stolen the key to the final exam”
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a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations
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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”
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mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock)
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the central building block at the top of an arch or vault
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a lever (as in a keyboard) that actuates a mechanism when depressed
Verb
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identify as in botany or biology, for example
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provide with a key
“We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building”
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vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key
“His new Mercedes was keyed last night in the parking lot”
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regulate the musical pitch of
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harmonize with or adjust to
“key one's actions to the voters' prevailing attitude”
Usage examples
- Perhaps, you should just grow sea monkeys.
- He turned from the door and walked slowly toward the gate, still holding the keys in his hand.
- Cockeysville was named after the Cockey family who helped establish the town.
- Olivia, have you seen my keys?
- He paused, looked back at the house, but then pocketed the keys, opened the gate and strode down the path quickly.
- This includes singers, songwriters, disc jockeys, and others.
- Donald Pickering also appeared in "The Keys of Marinus".
- No monkeys remain extant on Tobago.
- Where did Charlotte leave her keys?
- The Brandon Folk Festival takes place every summer on the Keystone Centre grounds.