KEY


Meaning of KEY in English

I.

noun

1 for a door

ADJECTIVE

▪ master , skeleton

▪ duplicate , spare

▪ apartment ( esp. AmE ), car , door , house , ignition , room , etc.

She hides a front door ~ in a flowerpot.

… OF KEYS

▪ bunch , ring ( esp. AmE ), set

a large bunch of ~s

He fished a ring of ~s out of his pocket.

a set of car ~s

VERB + KEY

▪ turn

She turned the ~ in the lock.

▪ insert , put in , slide in

I slid the ~ into the lock and went in.

▪ remove , take out

▪ use

She must have used a ~ to get in.

▪ leave

She left a ~ with the neighbours/neighbors.

▪ lock in

I'd accidentally locked the ~s in my car.

KEY + VERB

▪ open , unlock

You need a ~ to open the garage.

▪ lock

▪ turn

They heard a ~ turn in the lock.

▪ jangle , jingle

The sound of ~s jangling caught her attention.

PREPOSITION

▪ with a/the ~

You have to close it with the ~.

▪ ~ for

Robbie didn't have a ~ for these doors.

▪ ~ to

the ~ to the front door

PHRASES

▪ get a ~ cut ( BrE )

I'll get another ~ cut so that you can have one.

2 on a computer

ADJECTIVE

▪ Alt , arrow , backspace , control , delete , enter , escape , function , return , shift , etc.

▪ hot (= a key that you can press to perform a set of operations quickly) , short-cut

F1 is the short-cut ~ for calling up help.

… OF KEYS

▪ row

the top row of ~s

VERB + KEY

▪ hit , hold down , press , punch , tap

Hold down the Alt ~ while pressing the arrow ~s.

▪ release

3 decisive factor

VERB + KEY

▪ have , hold

First-time voters could hold the ~ to the election result.

PREPOSITION

▪ ~ to

Language is the ~ to understanding those around you.

4 in music

ADJECTIVE

▪ major , minor

▪ high , low

VERB + KEY

▪ change

The piece changes ~ in the middle.

KEY + VERB

▪ change

The ~ changes from C major to A minor.

KEY + NOUN

▪ change

▪ signature

PREPOSITION

▪ in a/the ~

What ~ is it in?

Can we try it in a lower ~?

▪ ~ of

the ~ of G major

PHRASES

▪ a change of ~

5 on a musical instrument

ADJECTIVE

▪ organ , piano , etc.

▪ black , white

VERB + KEY

▪ caress , stroke , touch

▪ depress

II.

adj.

Key is used with these nouns: ↑ advantage , ↑ aim , ↑ ally , ↑ appointment , ↑ area , ↑ article , ↑ aspect , ↑ assumption , ↑ attribute , ↑ challenge , ↑ characteristic , ↑ component , ↑ concept , ↑ concession , ↑ consideration , ↑ constituency , ↑ contributor , ↑ customer , ↑ decision , ↑ demand , ↑ difference , ↑ dimension , ↑ distinction , ↑ document , ↑ element , ↑ employee , ↑ event , ↑ executive , ↑ factor , ↑ feature , ↑ figure , ↑ finding , ↑ function , ↑ idea , ↑ importance , ↑ indicator , ↑ individual , ↑ industry , ↑ ingredient , ↑ instrument , ↑ issue , ↑ leader , ↑ link , ↑ measure , ↑ meeting , ↑ member , ↑ message , ↑ milestone , ↑ ministry , ↑ moment , ↑ objective , ↑ paragraph , ↑ part , ↑ participant , ↑ passage , ↑ performer , ↑ personnel , ↑ phrase , ↑ plank , ↑ player , ↑ point , ↑ position , ↑ precinct , ↑ principle , ↑ problem , ↑ provision , ↑ question , ↑ reason , ↑ recommendation , ↑ requirement , ↑ respect , ↑ role , ↑ sector , ↑ senator , ↑ stage , ↑ step , ↑ strategy , ↑ strength , ↑ stumbling block , ↑ supplier , ↑ suspect , ↑ target , ↑ task , ↑ term , ↑ test , ↑ text , ↑ theme , ↑ thing , ↑ tool , ↑ topic , ↑ turning point , ↑ vocabulary , ↑ vote , ↑ witness , ↑ word , ↑ worker

Oxford Collocations English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь словосочетаний .