1. (n.) An instrument by means of which the bolt of a lock is shot or drawn; usually, a removable metal instrument fitted to the mechanism of a particular lock and operated by turning in its place.

2. (n.) An instrument which is turned like a key in fastening or adjusting any mechanism; as, a watch key; a bed key, etc.

3. (n.) That part of an instrument or machine which serves as the means of operating it; as, a telegraph key; the keys of a pianoforte, or of a typewriter.

4. (n.) A position or condition which affords entrance, control, pr possession, etc.; as, the key of a line of defense; the key of a country; the key of a political situation. Hence, that which serves to unlock, open, discover, or solve something unknown or difficult; as, the key to a riddle; the key to a problem.

5. (n.) That part of a mechanism which serves to lock up, make fast, or adjust to position.

6. (n.) A piece of wood used as a wedge.

7. (n.) The last board of a floor when laid down.

8. (n.) A keystone.

9. (n.) That part of the plastering which is forced through between the laths and holds the rest in place.

10. (n.) A wedge to unite two or more pieces, or adjust their relative position; a cotter; a forelock.

11. (n.) A bar, pin or wedge, to secure a crank, pulley, coupling, etc., upon a shaft, and prevent relative turning; sometimes holding by friction alone, but more frequently by its resistance to shearing, being usually embedded partly in the shaft and partly in the crank, pulley, etc.

12. (n.) An indehiscent, one-seeded fruit furnished with a wing, as the fruit of the ash and maple; a samara; -- called also key fruit.

13. (n.) A family of tones whose regular members are called diatonic tones, and named key tone (or tonic) or one (or eight), mediant or three, dominant or five, subdominant or four, submediant or six, supertonic or two, and subtonic or seven. Chromatic tones are temporary members of a key, under such names as sharp four, flat seven, etc. Scales and tunes of every variety are made from the tones of a key.

14. (n.) The fundamental tone of a movement to which its modulations are referred, and with which it generally begins and ends; keynote.

15. (n.) Fig: The general pitch or tone of a sentence or utterance.

16. (v. t.) To fasten or secure firmly; to fasten or tighten with keys or wedges.

French pitch Rasputin Svengali TelAutography Teletype Teletype network Teletyping VIP access accommodate accord achromatism adapt adjust adjust to aerophone ait amplification archipelago assimilate atoll attune axial bad influence bang bar barricade batten batten down bell big wheel bilingual text bolt bottle opener button button up can opener cast catchword cay centermost central centralized centric centroidal centrosymmetric choke choke off chromatism chromism church key clap clarification classical pitch clavis close close up closed-circuit telegraphy clue code color color balance color harmony color scheme coloration coloring complexion concentrated constrict contain continental island contract coordinate coral head coral island coral reef corkscrew court cover crib critical crucial cue cue word cut to decipherment decoding decorator color depth description dominant double reed duplex telegraphy electricity embouchure eminence grise equalize essential evidence explanation explication facsimile telegraph faithful translation fasten fit five-percenter fix fold fold up free translation frequency friend at court gear to geocentric gloss glossary good influence gray eminence guide harmonize heavyweight height hidden hand high pitch hint holm homologate homologize horn hot lead hue humor important indication indicator influence influence peddler influencer ingroup insularity interlinear interlinear translation interrupter intimation island island group islandology isle islet key signature key to key word keynote kingmaker latch latchkey latchstring lead legend level lip lobby lobbyist lock lock out lock up loose translation lords of creation low pitch main major major key make plumb make uniform man of influence manipulator master key measure mediant metaphrase middle middlemost midmost minor mood mouthpiece multiplex telegraphy natural color necessary new philharmonic pitch news ticker note occlude oceanic island omphalic open sesame opener padlock pallor paraphrase passkey password pedal point philharmonic pitch philosophical pitch pipe pitch pivotal plumb pony powers that be pressure group proportion put in tune quadruplex telegraphy railroad telegraphy receiver reconcile rectify reed reef register regulate restatement rewording right sandbank sandbar scent seal seal off seal up secure sender set set right shade shut shut the door shut up similarize simplex telegraphy single-current telegraphy sinister influence skeleton key skin color slam slide snap sounder special interests special-interest group spoor squeeze shut