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1. Dictionary

   Key

   /kē/

   

   noun

   • 1. a small piece of shaped metal with incisions cut to fit the wards of a particular lock, which is inserted into a lock and turned to open or close it: "there were two keys to the cupboard"
   • ▪ a small, shaped metal implement for operating a switch in the form of a lock, especially one operating the ignition of a motor vehicle: "Nat turned the key in the ignition"
   • ▪ short for key card
   • ▪ an instrument for grasping and turning a screw, peg, or nut, especially one for winding a clock or turning a valve.
   • ▪ a pin, bolt, or wedge inserted between other pieces, or fitting into a hole or space designed for it, so as to lock parts together.
   • 2. each of several buttons on a panel for operating a computer, typewriter, or telephone: "press the ENTER key"
   • ▪ a lever depressed by the finger in playing an instrument such as the organ, piano, flute, or concertina: "a piece composed solely for the white keys on the piano"
   • ▪ a lever operating a mechanical device for making or breaking an electric circuit, for example in telegraphy.
   • 3. a thing that provides a means of gaining access to or understanding something: "the key to Jack's behavior may lie submerged in his unhappy past" Similar answercluesolutionexplanationpointercueleadbasis offoundation forrequisite forconditionpreconditionessentialmeanswayroutepathpassportsecretformulaguideglossglossaryinterpretationexplicationtranslationclarificationexpositionannotationindexlegendcode
   • ▪ an explanatory list of symbols used in a map, table, etc.
   • ▪ a set of answers to exercises or problems: "a key at the back of the book provides the answers"
   • ▪ a word or system for solving a cipher or code: "it took him some time to find the key, the connection between the code and the Odyssey"
   • ▪ the first move in the solution of a chess problem.
   • ▪ a field in a record which is used to identify that record uniquely.
   • 4. a group of notes based on a particular note and comprising a scale, regarded as forming the tonal basis of a piece or passage of music: "the key of E minor" Similar tonepitchtimbretonalitytone colormodulation
   • ▪ the tone or pitch of someone's voice: "his voice had changed to a lower key"
   • ▪ the prevailing tone or tenor of a piece of writing, situation, etc.: "it was like the sixties all over again, in a new, more austerely intellectual key" Similar stylecharactermoodveinspiritfeelfeelingflavorqualityhumoratmosphere
   • ▪ the prevailing range of tones or intensities in a painting: "these mauves, lime greens, and saffron yellows recall the high key of El Greco's palette"
   • 5. the dry winged fruit of an ash, maple, or sycamore maple, typically growing in bunches; a samara.
   • 6. the part of a first coat of wall plaster that passes between the laths and so secures the rest.
   • ▪ the roughness of a surface, helping the adhesion of plaster or other material.
   • 7. the keyhole-shaped area marked on the court near each basket, comprising the free-throw circle and the foul line: "he hit another jumper from the top of the key"

   adjective

   • 1. of paramount or crucial importance: "she became a key figure in the suffragette movement"

   verb

   • 1. enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard or telephone keypad: "not everyone can key data quickly and accurately"
   • 2. fasten (something) in position with a pin, wedge, or bolt: "the coils may be keyed into the slots by fiber wedges"
   • 3. roughen (a surface) to help the adhesion of plaster or other material: "a wooden float with nails driven through it is used to key the wall surface between coats"
   • 4. word (an advertisement in a particular periodical), typically by varying the form of the address given, so as to identify the publication generating particular responses: "one keys advertisements and measures returns"
   • 5. vandalize a car by scraping the paint from it with a key: informal "somebody could key your car and not get punished"
   • 6. be the crucial factor in achieving: informal North American "Ewing keyed a 73–35 advantage on the boards with twenty rebounds"

   Word Origin Old Englishcǣg, cǣge, of unknown origin.

   Derivatives

   • 1. keyer noun
   • 2. keyless adjective

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • K

     5

   • E

     1

   • Y

     4

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2. People also ask

   What is IPA pronunciation key?

   • The Dictionary.com Unabridged IPA Pronunciation Key IPA is an International Phonetic Alphabet intended for all speakers. Pronunciations on Dictionary.com use a subset of IPA to describe mainly the sounds of English. This chart will tell you how to read the pronunciation symbols.

   Key to IPA Pronunciations - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com/e/key-to-ipa-pronunciations/

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   How to read the pronunciation symbols?

   • This chart will tell you how to read the pronunciation symbols. In phonetic respellings, the primary stressed syllable is indicated by [ bold type ], as in newspaper [ nooz-pey-per ] and information [ in-fer-mey-shuhn ]. Syllables are separated with a hyphen [ – ].

   Key to Phonetic Respelling - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com/e/key-to-phonetic-respelling/

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   How do you pronounce a syllable?

   • Key to Pronunciation Pronunciation Model Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence petal /ˈpɛd (ə)l/ but petally/ˈpɛdl̩.i//. The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that the syllable is pronounced with primary stress.

   US English Pronunciations - Oxford English Dictionary

   www.oed.com/information/understanding-entries/pronunciation/us-english-pronunciations/

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   Is there a standard for American English pronunciation?

   • A generally agreed standard for spoken U.S. English does not exist in quite the same way as ‘Received Pronunciation’ does for British English. Kretzschmar views ‘General American’ as an erroneous term, with educationally-determined standards of pronunciation varying considerably between different regions of the USA.

   US English Pronunciations - Oxford English Dictionary

   www.oed.com/information/understanding-entries/pronunciation/us-english-pronunciations/

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3. www.yourdictionary.com › wnw › pronunciationPronunciation Key - YourDictionary

   www.yourdictionary.com › wnw › pronunciation

   • Cached

   A key to understanding the pronunciation of dictionary words. ... This pronunciation key outlines how to pronounce the letters and symbols in these systems, with ...

4. www.oed.com › british-english-pronunciationsBritish English Pronunciations - Oxford English Dictionary

   www.oed.com › british-english-pronunciations

   • Cached

   Finally, the above table includes two accepted nasalized vowels in the British English model, /ã/ (as in gratin) and /ɒ̃/ (as in bouillon ). Nasalized vowels are exclusively found within loan words that have not become fully naturalized in English, but where anglicization is evident and speakers are not code-switching.

5. www.thefreedictionary.com › _ › pkPronunciation Key - The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › _ › pk

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   Pronunciation Key for Free Online Dictionary (Key to Pronunciation Symbols) ... forest, and horrid, where the pronunciation of o before r varies between (ô) and (ŏ ...

6. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › pronunciationHow to pronounce KEY in English - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › pronunciation

   • Cached

   English Pronunciation. English pronunciation of key. key. How to pronounce key. UK /kiː/ US /kiː/ More about phonetic symbols. Sound-by-sound pronunciation. UK /kiː/ key. /k/ as in. cat. /iː/ as in. sheep. US /kiː/ key. /k/ as in. cat. /iː/ as in. sheep.

7. www.dictionary.com › e › key-to-ipa-pronunciationsKey to IPA Pronunciations - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › e › key-to-ipa-pronunciations

   • Cached

   The Dictionary.com Unabridged IPA Pronunciation Key. IPA is an International Phonetic Alphabet intended for all speakers. Pronunciations on Dictionary.com use a subset of IPA to describe mainly the sounds of English. This chart will tell you how to read the pronunciation symbols. Stress marks: In IPA, /ˈ/ indicates that the primary stressed ...

8. www.oed.com › us-english-pronunciationsUS English Pronunciations - Oxford English Dictionary

   www.oed.com › us-english-pronunciations

   • Cached

   Weak vowels, e.g., the final vowels in words such as added and beautiful, are typically not as high as in British English. Weak vowels in words such as added tend towards schwa except where the most recent preceding vowel ended high and front ( /i, ɪ, eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ/ ), in which case /ɪ/ might be found, or more often a quality on the ɪ-ə ...

9. www.dictionary.com › e › key-to-phonetic-respellingKey to Phonetic Respelling - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › e › key-to-phonetic-respelling

   • Cached

   Key to Phonetic Respelling. The Dictionary.com Unabridged Phonetic Respelling Key. Pronunciations written in phonetic respelling form are intended to be used by native speakers of English. This chart will tell you how to read the pronunciation symbols.