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单词 key
释义

key1

nounPlural keys kiːki

  • 1A 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.

    钥匙

    there were two keys to the cupboard
    a room key
    Example sentencesExamples
    • When he reached her door, he turned the spare key in the lock and walked inside.
    • I inserted my key into the lock and opened the door, listening for telltale sounds.
    • From her pockets, she produced a key and inserted the key into the door, opening it.
    • He also made a large key for the door of Sheriff Hutton Hall.
    • I fished out my keys, opened the door, and let him in.
    • It will be a far cry from North Sea Camp open prison where inmates have keys to their own rooms.
    • He bent down and pushed the key into the keyhole.
    • But Moore had a set of keys, so he opened the door for himself.
    • It took him a few minutes to find the right key and open the lock.
    • Gone forever are the enormous key rings with the bunches of clanging keys carried by the prison officers.
    • Ryan turned his house key in the door and followed Katalyn inside.
    • In the recovery room and three theatres, the drugs cupboards had been opened using force and the metal cupboards inside had been opened with keys.
    • When David Brooke arrived the curtains were closed and the keys were inside the door lock.
    • Then they tried to use the keys to open the door but put the wrong key in the lock.
    • Peterson glared at him as he pulled a house key from his jacket pocket.
    • Later on I realized I had lost my keys and Bernie found them in the sand, about fifteen feet away from where we were sitting.
    • He pulled the keys out, opened the door and slammed it closed.
    • He walked me to the door and I fumbled with my keys before opening it.
    • Maria fiddled with the keys, trying to open the lock to the door of her yellow convertible.
    • Thieves are only too happy to look out for people leaving their doors open and keys on show.
    1. 1.1 A shaped metal implement for operating a switch in the form of a lock, especially one operating the ignition of a motor vehicle.
      锁状开关的钥匙；（尤指）汽车点火钥匙
      Nat turned the key in the ignition
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Because it was a secluded spot with no-one else around she left the keys in the ignition with the engine running.
      • I put everything back in the bag, grabbed my keys out of the ignition, locked the doors, slung the bag over my shoulder and waited.
      • There are systems already installed in our vehicles to warn us that we have left our headlights on or our keys in the ignition.
      • Thieves have been preying on motorists who leave their keys in the ignition and engines running to defrost their cars.
      • The key was in the ignition and Jessie was about to pull out of the parking lot, when she stopped.
      • I am now car-less and about £2,000 out of pocket, as I don't think that the insurance will pay out as I had left the keys in the ignition.
      • He swerved into his parking space on the dock, took his key out of the ignition, locked the car and ran up to the ship.
      • Twist the key in the ignition and the engine doesn't so much explode into life as dutifully and modestly clear its throat.
      • He also grabbed the car keys from the ignition to prevent them driving off.
      • When police stopped him his car engine was switched off and the keys were in the ignition and he was sitting in the driver's seat.
      • Lucas shifted the car into park before pulling the keys from the ignition.
      • She turned the key in the ignition and they left Pickering Beach, driving west.
      • I sighed with relief before sliding into the jeep and slipping the keys in the ignition.
      • She put the keys into the ignition and sped off into the night, trying to find something to concentrate on besides her disturbing memories.
      • Anytime we flip a switch, turn a key in the ignition, or mail a letter, we expect something to happen.
      • He switched the keys in the ignition and the car started to roar.
      • Now he reached for the keys, turned the ignition key and waited, half-expecting the car not to start.
      • I put the keys in the ignition and backed out of the driveway.
      • Alysha took the keys out of the ignition and locked the car.
      • Figuring they'd be arguing for awhile, she just pulled the keys out of the ignition and leaned back across the seat, looking her son in the eye.
    2. 1.2 An instrument for grasping and turning a screw, peg, or nut, especially one for winding a clock or turning a valve.
      （拧螺丝钉、木钉、螺帽，尤指上时钟发条或旋阀门用的）钥匙，扳手
      Example sentencesExamples
      • It later serviced the local textile industry, but then found a niche with the water industry, making valve keys for reservoirs and water mains.
      • The clock does work, you wind it up with a key and it has a clear ringing double chime and right now it is keeping time.
      • Remove adjusting keys and wrenches from tool before turning it on.
      • Use a lag-screw system that includes a special key that can sink or retrieve the screw.
      • Slotted stems are turned with a screwdriver and square ones are turned with a radiator key.
      • Threats of police action to obtain the clock winding key were made recently.
      • The front of the tail mount is attached the keel and the back is elevated, plus there is no screw key below the keel.
      • Along the same line are the T-shaped hex tools with vinyl grips and L-shaped keys for greater torque power.
    3. 1.3 A pin, bolt, or wedge inserted into a hole or between parts so as to lock the parts together.
      销子，楔，栓
      Example sentencesExamples
      • In the box you also get a well-written manual, a bag of drive rails, a large collection of screws/standoffs and the keys for the side panel.
      • Opening the bubble-wrap we find the main unit, an instruction leaflet and a small bag with the screws and 2 keys.
      • Depending on the type of block you are using, there is typically some sort of key that locks one row to the row below it.
      • A cotter key fits in the two holes I drilled at the bottom and holds it open or shut.

  • 2Each of several buttons on a panel for operating a computer, typewriter, or telephone.

    （操作打字机、文字处理器或计算机终端的）键

    press the ENTER key
    Example sentencesExamples
    • To ensure that the computer remains in Standby, do not move the mouse or press any keys on your keyboard.
    • Several frenzied hits on the F5 key seemed to have brought things back to my most recent post.
    • Finally, he pressed the enter key on the last keypad.
    • You will find yourself accidentally hitting the Alt and delete keys quite a bit.
    • It means that if you can press keys on a keyboard, you have what is required to create your very own webpage!
    • The Apple had a simple keyboard that only had upper case letters and only two arrow keys.
    • The arrow key is directional I think - you click up to select ones above your current one, left to move to the left.
    • During scanning, volunteers pressed a computer key to indicate that they detected an odor.
    • He punched a few keys on his computer and swiveled the monitor towards me.
    • In the background, as I pound away at the keys on my computer, the second half of the Sunday-night Bucs-Bears game has just begun.
    • He heard the light tapping of keys, and opened his eyes to find that Dan was sprawled on the floor, working on his laptop.
    • Both Shift keys and the Return and Backspace keys are full size, which is always good to see.
    • Tom furrowed his brow and tapped a few keys on his computer.
    • In today's information era, personal data is increasingly difficult to hide from the clicks of computer keys.
    • You must use the number keys in the numeric keypad on the left of your keyboard.
    • Do I release the Wednesday update now and slink away, or just hammer the keys until I have something worth posting?
    • The function keys are smaller then normal, resembling the half-size keys found in many laptop keyboards.
    • And so when it comes time to locate their inner novelist, or just write letters, they like to hear the sound of hammering keys and the ding of a bell when they reach the end of a line.
    • Minnie tapped a few keys on the keyboard and clicked the mouse.
    • The participants initiated the trials by pressing any of the keys on the computer keyboard.
    1. 2.1 A lever depressed by the finger in playing an instrument such as the organ, piano, flute, or concertina.
      琴键
      a piece composed solely for the white keys on the piano
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Sitting down, she glided her fingers across the piano keys.
      • She began the lyrical melody, her fingers flowing over the keys without thought, her body swaying to the lilting melody of the music.
      • The recordings capture the sound of his fingers on the keys, the depression of the pedals, and the click of the microphone as it turns off.
      • Sara was intently studying the ivory and black keys of the piano.
      • This last model is for more serious keyboard players who need the approximate feel of a piano's heavier keys under their fingers.
      • Anna could barely reach the piano keys when she started showing signs of a rare musical ability.
      • In the corner was a piano, polished keys glittering under white light and two guitars - an acoustic and an electric.
      • He was obviously very passionate about his music as he sat behind his piano lightly fingering the keys for a brief moment.
      • Beth brought her fingers to the flute keys and played the first run of the piece.
      • There are twelve half-tones (black and white keys on a piano), or steps, in an octave.
      • Even today, I can laugh and cry and express anger through my fingers on piano keys.
      • His fingers sailed across the piano keys as he sang with all the feeling that he could muster.
      • As she sang, her back straightened up and she resumed her normal regal posture as her fingers pounded the keys of the piano in front of her.
      • I walked out into the hall and ran my fingers over the piano keys.
      • These ratios produce the eight notes of an octave in the musical scale corresponding to the white keys on a piano.
      • Consequently, holly is often used for the black keys on pianos and organs and for the pegs and fingerboards on violins.
      • The placement of the pianist's fingers on the keys also will affect dynamics to a certain degree.
      • There will also be convertibles to drive to the countryside, horses to ride on the beach, piano keys to tickle, and tennis balls to swat.
      • He doesn't reply but softly touches the keys of the piano.
      • Her fingers stilled on the keys as the piano strings stopped their vibrations and the lounge was silent again.
    2. 2.2 A lever operating a mechanical device for making or breaking an electric circuit, for example in telegraphy.
      电键，电钥
      Example sentencesExamples
      • A woman sits at a telegraph key and rattles Morse code along a wire.
      • She had learned to shoot a pistol, crawl under barbed wire, tap out gibberish on a Morse key.
      • Using the Morse key, operators at the stations were able to communicate with the world 24 hours a day.

  • 3A thing that provides a means of achieving or understanding something.

    （寻求、探索或理解某事物的）关键

    discipline seems to be the key to her success
    Example sentencesExamples
    • We strongly support our volunteer local organizing committees, whose good will and hard work are the keys to success.
    • In a recent commencement address, she gave graduates a few keys to being a well-rounded person.
    • The key is to plan a fun event early in the year that features activities the family will enjoy.
    • Investment in higher education is the key to our future.
    • Their motivation provides a key to the distinctive nature of modern terrorism.
    • The Dalai Lama once said that simplicity is the key to happiness in the modern world.
    • Clark, who is a former champion, said consistency was the key to their victory.
    • Dr Bracken said the key to providing a good service was time - and that was often in short supply.
    • In the case of the stockmarket, the key to achieving good capital growth is profitability.
    • The key to raising the achievement of these boys is good teaching.
    • In this it seems to me he is correct and has come up with a vital key to our understanding of Elgar.
    • When exfoliating, the key is to remove the dead skin cells but leave healthy ones intact.
    • Secondly, I was always of the opinion that the key to empowering women was to provide them with choice.
    • Universal responsibility is the real key to human survival.
    • In my view these statements provide a significant key to the resolution of the issue before me.
    • But as he explains, it is this hardship that provides a key to understanding the spirit and culture of these tribes.
    • This awareness will provide the key to tracking animals, both human and otherwise.
    • Education is the key to a future for humankind, especially for a healthier humankind with a suitable replacement rate.
    • Moderation is the key to success when training your legs and glutes.
    • The inscription is therefore credited as one of the keys to opening up the thousands of years of Egyptian history.
    Synonyms
    answer, clue, solution, explanation, pointer, cue, lead
    basis of, foundation for, requisite for
    condition, precondition, essential, means, way, route, path, passport, secret, formula
    guide, gloss, glossary, interpretation, explication, translation, clarification, exposition, annotation, index, legend, code
    1. 3.1 An explanatory list of symbols used in a map, table, etc.
      （地图、图表等上的）符号表，凡例
      Example sentencesExamples
      • There is extensive use of place names without accompanying maps throughout the book, and many of the maps provided lack keys and scales.
      • For the reader who is not familiar with Soviet map symbols, there is a key in the back of the book.
      • References within the tables themselves are listed in a key below each individual Appendix.
      • References to pertinent illustrations are noted within the keys to help the user visualize and clarify the plant anatomy in question.
      • In fact, as will be obvious to any reader who has ever used an index, the symbols in the key refer to the chapters in which the characters appear.
    2. 3.2 A set of answers to exercises or problems.
      （练习或问题的）答案
      a key at the back of the book provides the answers
      Example sentencesExamples
      • If there are no answer keys, compare your answers against those of some friends of yours who are also doing the practice competitions.
      • I have been trying to get my hands on that answer key for several years, and kept getting turned down.
      • In North Carolina, no one at the school has access to the answer key or to grading the essays on our state tests.
      • If there are keys for answers, check what your child will be learning and see if it's in a skill that will be called for.
      • Answer keys for tests and practice problems are found in each chapter.
      • Then, she tried the drawer of the desk that she knew the test answer key was hidden in.
      • After the teaching tips and 175 daily lessons, there's a set of workbook answer keys, tests and quiz drill sheets.
      • My music students have those same moments because they, too, have the answer key.
      • So, be careful with this CD-ROM set as you should be with the answer key in any math textbook.
      • There are many ways of cheating on standardized tests other than doctoring the answer keys or even using questions from the test in class exercises.
      • The classroom teacher rated each test using answer keys, while the second author independently scored all tests.
      • A good open-ended question should include a detailed answer key for the person marking the paper.
    3. 3.3 A word or system for solving a cipher or code.
      密钥
      it took him some time to find the key, the connection between the code and the Odyssey
      Example sentencesExamples
      • British agents broke into the Spanish Embassy in Washington and stole the keys to their ciphers, enabling Bletchley Park to crack the Spanish codes.
      • Quantum cryptography systems discard these corrupt keys and only use codes that are known to be secure.
      • The encryption keys are sent over dedicated links, and the messages ciphered with those keys are transmitted over the Internet.
      • Cryptographic keys and iris code reside in the smart card.
      • The ‘DaVinci code’ of the title refers to cryptic keys supposedly incorporated by Leonardo da Vinci into his art.
      • More recent viruses and blended threats also extract passwords, decryption keys and logged keystrokes.
      • Asymmetric encryption relies on two keys that work together as a pair an encryption key and a decryption key.
      • The strongest of all cipher systems require a random key as long as the message that's being sent.
      • How could you get a secret encryption key to someone in cyberspace?
      • Your report says that she has the code keys memorized.
      • Stream ciphers are essentially practical adaptations of the Vernam Cipher with small keys.
    4. 3.4 The first move in the solution of a chess problem.
      （下棋的）关键一着
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The key is whether the defensive king can get within the promotion ‘square’.
    5. 3.5Computing A field in a record which is used to identify that record uniquely.
      〔计算机〕关键码
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The optional TYPE part of the foreign key name is used to support multiple keys to the same TABLE FIELD.

  • 4Music
    A group of notes based on a particular note and comprising a scale, regarded as forming the tonal basis of a piece of music.

    〔乐〕调，主调

    the key of E minor

    E小调。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Today, I am only going to listen to music played in major keys.
    • In my profession it may even be disadvantageous because it happens that we play a piece in a different key.
    • The pieces are all arranged as short, two-page pieces in the keys of C, F, G, D and B-flat major.
    • At this point I wish Mr Gibb had written it in a slightly lower key, but what is good enough for Barbra Streisand is good enough for me.
    • Transposition is explained in a concise manner on the last page, making it easy for students to learn how to play these exercises in other keys.
    • The first section scampers about in a happy fashion but darkens suddenly in the key of D minor.
    Synonyms
    tone, pitch, timbre, tonality, tone colour, modulation
    1. 4.1 The tone or pitch of someone's voice.
      （人的）声调
      his voice had changed to a lower key

      他的声音变得低沉了。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Madame Lebrun was bustling in and out, giving orders in a high key to a yard-boy.
      • She tried to keep her voice down to a calm key.
    2. 4.2 The prevailing tone of a piece of writing, situation, etc.
      〈喻〉（文章、形势等）主调，基调
      it was like the sixties all over again, in a new, more austerely intellectual key

      在一种新的更加质朴的理性基调中，好像一切都回到了60年代。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Burke comments in a more sombre key that ‘We may have spent several centuries not seeing the wood for the trees’.
      • The language of religion will return towards the end of his life, but in a different key, in his final collection of poems.
      • Described in the press notes as ‘a love story in a minor key,’ this will certainly strike a chord with fans of character drama.
      • Kingsley plays Ford in a near-hysterical key throughout, his jealousy tinged with full-blown paranoia.
      Synonyms
      style, character, mood, vein, spirit, feel, feeling, flavour, quality, humour, atmosphere
    3. 4.3 The prevailing range of tones in a painting.
      （绘画的）基本色调
      these mauves, lime greens, and saffron yellows recall the high key of El Greco's palette

      这些紫红色、石灰绿色和藏红花黄色让人回想起格列柯明快的高色调。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • The technique gives a high key but a reduced range of brightness.
      • Embodying the high key of colour associated with Rubénisme, it nevertheless belongs to the tradition of monumental mural painting begun by Le Brun.
      • Because of the dots and the diagonal lines and unmodulated color, I work in a color key that I love to play with.
      • Canaletto began to turn out views which were more topographically accurate, set in a higher key, and with smoother handling.

  • 5The dry winged fruit of an ash, maple, or sycamore, typically growing in bunches; a samara.

    （梣树、枫树或无花果树的）翼果

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Visitors were not allowed to use pens or pencils but to use other media such as twigs, sycamore keys and string, among other things, with Indian ink to make marks.

  • 6The part of a first coat of wall plaster that passes between the laths and so secures the rest.

    板条间首层灰泥

    Example sentencesExamples
    • If the surface was primed with DG27, this first coat should be thick enough to cover over all of the key.
    1. 6.1 The roughness of a surface, helping the adhesion of plaster or other material.
      （有助于石膏等黏附的）粗糙表面
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Some rock lath was textured or perforated to provide a key for wet plaster.
      • The nibs help to secure the plaster to the lattice, reinforcing the key or bond between plaster and wood.
      • Scratch the render to form a key and, the next day, fill flush with a slightly weaker mix.

  • 7Basketball
    The keyhole-shaped area marked on the court near each basket.

    〔篮球〕罚球区

    he hit another jumper from the top of the key
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Steph's no-look pass from the top of the key last night was one of the top 10 plays of the year so far.
    • If you want, you can stand near the top of the key and make the players go around you.
    • Oregon retrieved the opening tip, and Flash dribbled down the court and hit a three from the top of the key.
    • The post player nearest the ball is the one to break and set a screen for the guard near the top of the key.
    • Well, the post away from the ball gets a pick and then breaks across the key.
adjective kiːki

  • Of crucial importance.

    关键的，重要的

    she became a key figure in the suffragette movement

    她成为妇女参政运动中的关键人物。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • One of Alexander's key decisions will be whether to build airport rail links, and, if so, which one to build first.
    • We could do with a couple of key professionals in key positions.
    • On top of that the web-based form error checked itself, prompting you to fill in key information.
    • His friendships with key figures in government go back decades.
    • The intention is to make the city a centre of innovation in key technologies and the authorities are betting heavily on it.
    • Both sides were short a number of key players for this important match.
    • York Council is already covering the costs of storing the lights and paying for Christmas lighting in key city centre locations.
    • Tournaments like this have made paintball what it is today through high exposure in key North American cities.
    • Still of key importance, the zone remains staffed by eight dedicated professionals.
    • Before discussing our findings, it is important to consider key limitations of the study.
    • Yesterday public schools in Yorkshire blamed the rises on a dramatic increase in key costs faced by all institutions.
    • Child psychologists are being brought into a borough's schools in a bid to pull up performance in key tests and exams.
    • But they paid the price for conceding too many penalties and making too many basic errors in key situations.
    • After only three years the business now consists of several different companies - all operating in key markets.
    • There are also moments when the emotional responses of key characters in key situations completely fail to ring true.
    • In particular, the size of the local catchment area will be key.
    • I scored it a draw, with probably little overall effect on the race nationally and in key states.
    • By focusing on key events and the figures central to those events, you make women as good as invisible, runs the argument.
    • The Republicans also won a series of major victories in key congressional races.
    • They say that in this case, some of the people who are retiring are in key positions.
    Synonyms
    crucial, central, essential, indispensable, basic, fundamental, pivotal, critical, decisive, dominant, vital, principal, salient, prime, chief, major, leading, main, important, significant
verbkeys, keying, keyed kiːki
[with object]

  • 1Enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard or telephone keypad.

    用计算机键盘输入（或操作）（数据）

    she keyed in a series of commands

    她键入了一系列命令。

    no object a hacker caused disruption after keying into a vital database

    一名黑客进入一个重要数据库后造成了巨大的破坏。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Whatever they keyed in was read back to them by the computer, complete with any wrong spellings, which encouraged them to make sure everything was correct.
    • Zack rubs his hands together as John keys in some data on his terminal.
    • As they effortlessly key in the words there is not even an iota of confusion among them.
    • Riddell's compositions had to be manually translated from graphic scores into very low-level information that could be keyed into the computer.
    • The details will already be keyed into the computer and forwarded to the pharmacy of their choice.
    • Pics have to be uploaded directly from my laptop using the connection at home - while the words are better keyed in from an internet cafe.
    • Even in 2005, historical data sometimes has to be keyed in by hand!
    • Whenever I keyed in my password my fingers shook.
    • She keyed in her numbers then took her card when it popped back out.
    • She took ages to key in her PIN, took ages to decide what she wanted.
    • Start by creating the keywords you would key into a search engine to find a website like yours.
    • He moved over to his console again and keyed in a few commands.
    • Doctor Slater finished writing out several prescriptions, then keyed in the pharmacy delivery passwords and nodded as the confirmation was displayed.
    • Thus, anyone who drops in should feel free to type in a question so that it will be keyed up when I return.
    • Within 30 seconds of being keyed in, applications can be viewed on-screen by the hiring company.
    • AIB transactions are conducted at the Post Office counter, via a dedicated pinpad through which the customer keys in their secret code.
    • Seconds later, Susan was already standing behind Pete's screen, checking through the codes that Pete had keyed in.
    • I reckon since I arrived and purchased my mobile phone I have keyed in and later deleted at least 25 numbers.
    • Hundreds of shoppers took advantage of a discount scheme - in compensation for late delivery - for which they keyed in an individual code.
    • A digital image of the check is then taken and the system verifies the amount matches the one the customer keyed in.

  • 2 Fasten (something) in position with a pin, wedge, or bolt.

    用别针（或楔子，栓）固定

    the coils may be keyed into the slots by fibre wedges

    线圈可以用纤维楔固定在槽中。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Immovably keyed upon the cranked shaft is a heavy wooden cone pulley.
    • Since the crank is keyed to the pin, I'll have to arrange for each pin to come out of its main driver, rotated as far behind the vertical center-line as it is forward, then pressed back in.
    • With small machines, the core plates are keyed direct to the shaft.

  • 3Roughen (a surface) to help the adhesion of plaster or other material.

    （有助于石膏等黏附的）粗糙表面

    a wooden float with nails driven through it is used to key the wall surface between coats
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Where no keying mix or bonding agent is specified, wet smooth concrete surfaces immediately before plastering.
    • If the piece is varnished or painted, sand it well to remove most of the finish and key the surface.

  • 4Word (an advertisement in a periodical), typically by varying the form of the address given, so as to identify the publication generating particular responses.

    （为便于确定对某一特定刊物上所登广告的反应程度而）给（广告）加识别编码

    one keys advertisements and measures returns
    Example sentencesExamples
    • But the firm makes much of its money from selling advertising space keyed to the words for which its users search.

  • 5informal Vandalize (a car) by scraping its paint with a key.

    〈非正式〉用钥匙刮漆破坏（汽车）；用钥匙刮划（汽车）的表漆

    Example sentencesExamples
    • I couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't get my car keyed or otherwise vandalized in the middle of the night.
    • My car had been keyed and my kids had been verbally assaulted after accidentally hitting the neighbour's window with a snowball.
    • For the girl ranting about keying SUVs. I'm so glad you've decided to fight against people's destructive actions with such a constructive solution.
    • Again, the car did its job with confident ease and didn't get keyed in the car park.

  • 6North American informal Be the crucial factor in achieving.

    〈北美，非正式〉成为获得…的关键要素

    Ewing keyed a 73–35 advantage on the boards with twenty rebounds

    埃文以20个篮板球成为保持73比35优势的关键因素。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Charleton's 23 points and Neufeld's 22 points keyed SFU's offensive attack.
    • Kaczowka keyed the offensive attack with 21 points and nine rebounds, while point guard Dani Langford contributed 15 points and eight assists.
    • The Clan attack was keyed by Jessica Kaczowka and Teresa Kleindienst.
    • The run was keyed by the re-entry into the game of forward Mike Sovran, a fifth year co-captain, who scored seven points in that span.

Phrases

  • in (or out of) key

    （不）协调

    • In (or out of) harmony.

      （不）协调

      this uplifting conclusion is out of key with the body of his book

      这一含糊其辞地鼓舞人心的结尾与该书的主体不协调。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • I mean, people singing along to songs, even horribly out of key, is better than groups of people talking loudly in some sort of strange choir.
      • Many felt even this would have been an over-development, out of key with other planning studies and proposals, which have proposed lower buildings.
      • The saxophonist plays one of his own improvisations, deliberately falling out of key, catching himself.
      • Here, though, they're wavering, sliding in and out of key.
      • Unless you've never stopped, you'll have to rediscover this voice to properly extend your range, stop straining your vocal chords and singing out of key.
      • Every song is sure to be awesome and sung out of key.
      • The secretary of the Bradford branch of the union said: ‘If you get this wrong a whole group of schools can be totally out of key.’
      • This would last until a major fight broke out over who had the best voice… or because one of us had said the other was out of key or whatever.
      • I can express myself vocally and I can stay in key, but I don't think I have such an awesome voice.
      • The highlight of my night occurred when three math majors sang ‘Like a Virgin’ horribly out of key.

Phrasal Verbs

  • key someone/something into (or in with)

    • Cause someone or something to be in harmony with.

      使（某人或某事）与…共处（或一致）；使…与…相安无事

      to those who are keyed into his lunatic sense of humour, the arrival of any Bergman movie is a major comic event

      就对那种荒唐的幽默感已经习以为常的人而言，任何一部伯格曼的新片都是一件逗乐的盛事。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Do it until a single word or image is enough to key you into that state of being - emulate Pavlov's dogs.
      • It is a poignant passage that will stand the test of time and key you into meanings of shadow and redemption.
      • But like it or not, we will have to be keyed into the world economy in the years to come.
      • I was hoping that there might be something in there that would key me into the problem.
      • I am sure you have something precious in your world which can key you into a harmonious vibration.
      • Beloved smells that key you into positive memories and experience can be all the difference you need.
      • She is keyed into the American mainstream and she asks the questions we would all ask if presented with the opportunity to question celebrities.
      • Sometimes a title or a word will key me into the deeper store house of memories, dreams helping to project them into the music.
      • Make no mistake, I'm fully keyed into the instant world.
      • His to-the-camera monologues are absolutely the best thing about the film (for those who aren't keyed into the Manchester music scene, that is).
      • Last night I was trying to key you into some of the wisdom we have accumulated through this close-knit project of ours.
      • She's selling singles by new/unsigned bands she's discovered to people who are already keyed into her tastes and likes.
      • The issues that conference committees ask presenters to address can often key you into trends in the field.
      • Your supervisor is a major resource who can key you into the dynamics of the organization and external factors that may affect your plans or area of responsibility.
      • At once he keys us into his position by speaking of language as an instrument that we, its masters, can choose to play in whatever way we wish.
      • He slums about the town with his friends, falls in and out of drug addiction and keys us into the whole process.

  • key something to

    • Link something to.

      courses keyed to the needs of health professionals
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The interest rate may go up or down over the years, and it is keyed to a financial market index.
      • The recall module is keyed to a preselected sound.
      • Look at your tax form - the explanatory guide that comes with it is keyed to the T1 form.
      • I'm looking for everything on a specific keyword, and if some store is keyed to that word I'm going to get their stuff.
      • The researchers speculate that misbehaviors are keyed to ‘perceptions of inequities in the science resource distribution’ process.
      • The Google search engine has paid advertising, and it is keyed to the object of a user's search.
      • Bureaucratic incentives aren't keyed to getting jobs for those on welfare.
      • The numbers above the heads of the passengers are keyed to lines of dialogue recorded below.
      • For texts which authors and publishers wish to keep free of superscript symbols, endnotes are keyed to such points of reference as page numbers or repeat identifying phrases from the text.
      • The clavicle (Latin for a little key) keys the shoulder blade to the breast bone.
      • The extensive end notes are keyed to each chapter.
      • To help users locate these features, each item on this list was keyed to a geometric grid that was overprinted on the face of the maps.
      • Many of these regulations are keyed to specific resources within ecological systems rather than to addressing the system as a whole.
      • From a teaching point of view, therefore, the manual is excellent and, although it is keyed to a particular package, I think it would be a very good teaching tool.
      • This symbol may come in the shape of a broach, lapel pin, medallion, anything imaginable, but it is keyed to its owner and allows them certain abilities.
      • Rather than being keyed to clinical care it is keyed to other activities that the university wishes, such as academic things (especially peer reviewed papers).
      • The displays seem to resonate with the public, especially if the themes are keyed to their cities' histories, Clark said.
      • His work, because it is keyed to the environment in which he performs, has never been recorded because he has felt that this presentation would minimize the impact of his performance.
      • There is indeed a digital divide in cyberculture studies, and, like the digital divide in on-line access, it is keyed to racial categories.
      • It invites us to join the melodrama, keying our responses to the silly excess of the movie itself.

  • be keyed up

    • Be nervous, tense, or excited, especially before an important event.

      （尤指在重要事情开始前）使紧张，使兴奋

      he was keyed up at the thought of seeing Rosemary
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I tried a couple of times to get her to giggle hard enough to make her snort, but both of us were kind of keyed up so my attempts failed pretty miserably.
      • At midnight when you get off work and you're all keyed up, I'm all worn out.
      • Not having visited the town since last year, he had been keyed up about what had meant to be a three-day trip.
      • It was impossible to disguise the fact that Bolton was keyed up to an almost unbearable pitch.
      • I was vaguely tired, but a little too keyed up (or not interested enough) to take a nap.
      • They are certainly going to be keyed up.
      • After bath, brush and lotion, we were keyed up so it took about 20 minutes to calm down and go to sleep.
      • The guys are keyed up for the event.
      • We had already been keyed up for the June 5 assault, and now we had another day of adrenalin rush to deal with.
      • Everyone was keyed up and had been worrying about my safety in getting from the station to the house.
      • She was too keyed up to go back to sleep.
      • In it you can relax and let your guard down instead of being keyed up or on edge all the time.
      • I allowed myself to be keyed up and nervous before I got here, but now I am here I focus on the business.
      • I was keyed up, pumped.
      • Lilly was too keyed up to pay attention to Heather's doses of sarcasm.
      • You had better believe that there were a number of golf pros who were keyed up a little bit more than usual.
      • Keyed up by months of training, we were anxious to go.
      • The 28th Division was keyed up by a visit and inspection from their boss Eisenhower, certain in the knowledge that they were to be among the first to assault France.
      • You know, Ms. Jackson, I have really been keyed up about this interview, and I guess maybe it shows.
      • The atmosphere was really good, everyone was keyed up and looking forward to the water fun.
      • Last Saturday night, we had friends over and I must have been keyed up because I couldn't fall asleep that night.
      • Since I was keyed up from the day's preparations (working, packing, traveling), it took me a few hours to relax though.
      • Fresh off a successful concert on Saturday night, the talented Maria Dunn is keyed up about two gigs she has this weekend.
      • He's gently crinkling a beer can in his hand and I wouldn't say his eyes are dancing but he definitely looks keyed up about something.
      • It was much earlier than Jake usually got to his office, but he was keyed up, and hadn't been able to sleep.
      • He was really keyed up, more excited than Dryden had ever seen him.
      • Johnny is keyed up about tomorrow, the Fourth of July: lots of fun times ahead for him and his family.
      • He did not do much against South Africa and therefore, would be keyed up to prove a point or two.
      • The Venezuelans should be here any minute and this lobby full of reporters is keyed up and ready to pounce.
      • And there's another reason why Priaulx is keyed up about the races at his home track: ‘I spent a long time at Silverstone as an instructor.’

Derivatives

  • keyer

    • noun
    • However, most of the work data entry keyers do is repetitive.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The managers went around the keyers tonight trying to find volunteers to man the lines.
      • The average annual salary for Data entry keyers in Rhode Island was $26,490 per year.
      • Since there is a built in sidetone and speaker system in the keyer it can also be used as a practice keyer for training purposes.
      • They are full linear keyers that offer many of the same features found on high-end production switchers.

  • keyless

    • adjective ˈkiːləsˈkiləs
    • Honda's Stream is also fitted with an engine immobiliser, alarm system and remote keyless entry.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • These features are merely a few of the elements that make electronic keyless locks so versatile.
      • Ultimately, I think true keyless access will require an implantable chip with a very strong encryption system; right now I'm only looking at this in a personal context.
      • Among the features which make Micra stand out are sliding rear seats to maximise cabin space, a keyless ignition system and storage space under the passenger seat.
      • When configured as a drill, the tool includes a 24-position clutch and a keyless chuck.

Origin

Old English cǣg, cǣge, of unknown origin.

  • quay from Late Middle English:

    One of those words that seems designed to trip up poor spellers, this word was originally spelt as it is pronounced, key. It comes from Old French kay, of Celtic origin. The change of spelling occurred in the late 17th century, influenced by the modern French spelling quai. Cay or key for a sand bar is the same word.

Rhymes

absentee, açai, addressee, adoptee, agree, allottee, amputee, appellee, appointee, appraisee, après-ski, assignee, asylee, attendee, bailee, bain-marie, Bangui, bargee, bawbee, be, Bea, bee, bootee, bouquet garni, bourgeoisie, Brie, BSc, buckshee, Capri, cc, chimpanzee, cohabitee, conferee, consignee, consultee, Cree, debauchee, decree, dedicatee, Dee, degree, deportee, dernier cri, detainee, devisee, devotee, divorcee, draftee, dree, Dundee, dungaree, eau-de-vie, emcee, employee, endorsee, en famille, ennui, enrollee, escapee, esprit, evacuee, examinee, expellee, fee, fiddle-de-dee, flea, flee, fleur-de-lis, foresee, franchisee, free, fusee (US fuzee), Gardaí, garnishee, gee, ghee, glee, goatee, grandee, Grand Prix, grantee, Guarani, guarantee, he, HMRC, indictee, inductee, internee, interviewee, invitee, jamboree, Jaycee, jeu d'esprit, knee, Lea, lee, legatee, Leigh, lessee, Ley, licensee, loanee, lychee, manatee, Manichee, maquis, Marie, marquee, me, Midi, mortgagee, MSc, nominee, obligee, Otomi, parolee, Parsee, parti pris, patentee, Pawnee, payee, pea, pee, permittee, plc, plea, pledgee, pollee, presentee, promisee, quay, ratatouille, referee, refugee, releasee, repartee, retiree, returnee, rupee, scot-free, scree, sea, secondee, see, settee, Shanxi, Shawnee, shchi, she, shea, si, sirree, ski, spree, standee, suttee, tant pis, tea, tee, tee-hee, Tennessee, testee, the, thee, three, thuggee, Tiree, Torquay, trainee, Tralee, transferee, tree, Trincomalee, trustee, tutee, twee, Twi, undersea, vestee, vis-à-vis, wagon-lit, Waikiki, warrantee, we, wee, whee, whoopee, ye, yippee, Zuider Zee

key2

nounPlural keys kiːki

  • A low-lying island or reef, especially in the Caribbean.

    （尤指加勒比海中的）低岛，礁。比较CAY

    Compare with cay
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Storm surge will also be a concern in southwest Florida, the keys, and the areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee.
    • These flat and unexceptional little keys, just south of Cuba in the Northern Caribbean, enjoy the status of a tax haven.
    • Now, you'll appreciate that the Bahamas is an island chain of more than 700 islands and keys.
    • He was sentenced to life imprisonment at Fort Jefferson, a huge fort in the Dry Tortugas, islands 70 miles off the Florida keys.
    • People are urged to keep a close eye on this storm: mandatory evacuations already have been issued for Florida's keys.
    • A lot of people have already left the keys, along with some mainland residents.

Origin

Late 17th century: from Spanish cayo 'shoal, reef', influenced by quay.

noun.1
phr.
phr.v.
noun.2

key1

nounkikē

  • 1A 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.

    钥匙

    Example sentencesExamples
    • It took him a few minutes to find the right key and open the lock.
    • Then they tried to use the keys to open the door but put the wrong key in the lock.
    • He bent down and pushed the key into the keyhole.
    • He pulled the keys out, opened the door and slammed it closed.
    • From her pockets, she produced a key and inserted the key into the door, opening it.
    • But Moore had a set of keys, so he opened the door for himself.
    • Peterson glared at him as he pulled a house key from his jacket pocket.
    • I fished out my keys, opened the door, and let him in.
    • Later on I realized I had lost my keys and Bernie found them in the sand, about fifteen feet away from where we were sitting.
    • Maria fiddled with the keys, trying to open the lock to the door of her yellow convertible.
    • He also made a large key for the door of Sheriff Hutton Hall.
    • I inserted my key into the lock and opened the door, listening for telltale sounds.
    • When he reached her door, he turned the spare key in the lock and walked inside.
    • When David Brooke arrived the curtains were closed and the keys were inside the door lock.
    • Gone forever are the enormous key rings with the bunches of clanging keys carried by the prison officers.
    • He walked me to the door and I fumbled with my keys before opening it.
    • It will be a far cry from North Sea Camp open prison where inmates have keys to their own rooms.
    • Thieves are only too happy to look out for people leaving their doors open and keys on show.
    • Ryan turned his house key in the door and followed Katalyn inside.
    • In the recovery room and three theatres, the drugs cupboards had been opened using force and the metal cupboards inside had been opened with keys.
    1. 1.1 A small, shaped metal implement for operating a switch in the form of a lock, especially one operating the ignition of a motor vehicle.
      锁状开关的钥匙；（尤指）汽车点火钥匙
      Example sentencesExamples
      • There are systems already installed in our vehicles to warn us that we have left our headlights on or our keys in the ignition.
      • I put the keys in the ignition and backed out of the driveway.
      • Figuring they'd be arguing for awhile, she just pulled the keys out of the ignition and leaned back across the seat, looking her son in the eye.
      • She put the keys into the ignition and sped off into the night, trying to find something to concentrate on besides her disturbing memories.
      • She turned the key in the ignition and they left Pickering Beach, driving west.
      • Alysha took the keys out of the ignition and locked the car.
      • Because it was a secluded spot with no-one else around she left the keys in the ignition with the engine running.
      • He swerved into his parking space on the dock, took his key out of the ignition, locked the car and ran up to the ship.
      • Lucas shifted the car into park before pulling the keys from the ignition.
      • I sighed with relief before sliding into the jeep and slipping the keys in the ignition.
      • Now he reached for the keys, turned the ignition key and waited, half-expecting the car not to start.
      • I am now car-less and about £2,000 out of pocket, as I don't think that the insurance will pay out as I had left the keys in the ignition.
      • He switched the keys in the ignition and the car started to roar.
      • When police stopped him his car engine was switched off and the keys were in the ignition and he was sitting in the driver's seat.
      • Thieves have been preying on motorists who leave their keys in the ignition and engines running to defrost their cars.
      • The key was in the ignition and Jessie was about to pull out of the parking lot, when she stopped.
      • I put everything back in the bag, grabbed my keys out of the ignition, locked the doors, slung the bag over my shoulder and waited.
      • Anytime we flip a switch, turn a key in the ignition, or mail a letter, we expect something to happen.
      • Twist the key in the ignition and the engine doesn't so much explode into life as dutifully and modestly clear its throat.
      • He also grabbed the car keys from the ignition to prevent them driving off.
    2. 1.2
      short for key card
    3. 1.3 An instrument for grasping and turning a screw, peg, or nut, especially one for winding a clock or turning a valve.
      （拧螺丝钉、木钉、螺帽，尤指上时钟发条或旋阀门用的）钥匙，扳手
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The clock does work, you wind it up with a key and it has a clear ringing double chime and right now it is keeping time.
      • Along the same line are the T-shaped hex tools with vinyl grips and L-shaped keys for greater torque power.
      • Remove adjusting keys and wrenches from tool before turning it on.
      • Threats of police action to obtain the clock winding key were made recently.
      • Use a lag-screw system that includes a special key that can sink or retrieve the screw.
      • The front of the tail mount is attached the keel and the back is elevated, plus there is no screw key below the keel.
      • Slotted stems are turned with a screwdriver and square ones are turned with a radiator key.
      • It later serviced the local textile industry, but then found a niche with the water industry, making valve keys for reservoirs and water mains.
    4. 1.4 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.
      销子，楔，栓
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Depending on the type of block you are using, there is typically some sort of key that locks one row to the row below it.
      • A cotter key fits in the two holes I drilled at the bottom and holds it open or shut.
      • Opening the bubble-wrap we find the main unit, an instruction leaflet and a small bag with the screws and 2 keys.
      • In the box you also get a well-written manual, a bag of drive rails, a large collection of screws/standoffs and the keys for the side panel.

  • 2Each of several buttons on a panel for operating a computer, typewriter, or telephone.

    （操作打字机、文字处理器或计算机终端的）键

    Example sentencesExamples
    • You will find yourself accidentally hitting the Alt and delete keys quite a bit.
    • It means that if you can press keys on a keyboard, you have what is required to create your very own webpage!
    • In today's information era, personal data is increasingly difficult to hide from the clicks of computer keys.
    • The participants initiated the trials by pressing any of the keys on the computer keyboard.
    • You must use the number keys in the numeric keypad on the left of your keyboard.
    • The function keys are smaller then normal, resembling the half-size keys found in many laptop keyboards.
    • He punched a few keys on his computer and swiveled the monitor towards me.
    • Several frenzied hits on the F5 key seemed to have brought things back to my most recent post.
    • Finally, he pressed the enter key on the last keypad.
    • The arrow key is directional I think - you click up to select ones above your current one, left to move to the left.
    • Tom furrowed his brow and tapped a few keys on his computer.
    • The Apple had a simple keyboard that only had upper case letters and only two arrow keys.
    • Both Shift keys and the Return and Backspace keys are full size, which is always good to see.
    • And so when it comes time to locate their inner novelist, or just write letters, they like to hear the sound of hammering keys and the ding of a bell when they reach the end of a line.
    • During scanning, volunteers pressed a computer key to indicate that they detected an odor.
    • Minnie tapped a few keys on the keyboard and clicked the mouse.
    • Do I release the Wednesday update now and slink away, or just hammer the keys until I have something worth posting?
    • He heard the light tapping of keys, and opened his eyes to find that Dan was sprawled on the floor, working on his laptop.
    • To ensure that the computer remains in Standby, do not move the mouse or press any keys on your keyboard.
    • In the background, as I pound away at the keys on my computer, the second half of the Sunday-night Bucs-Bears game has just begun.
    1. 2.1 A lever depressed by the finger in playing an instrument such as the organ, piano, flute, or concertina.
      琴键
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The placement of the pianist's fingers on the keys also will affect dynamics to a certain degree.
      • Beth brought her fingers to the flute keys and played the first run of the piece.
      • He was obviously very passionate about his music as he sat behind his piano lightly fingering the keys for a brief moment.
      • There will also be convertibles to drive to the countryside, horses to ride on the beach, piano keys to tickle, and tennis balls to swat.
      • Sitting down, she glided her fingers across the piano keys.
      • Consequently, holly is often used for the black keys on pianos and organs and for the pegs and fingerboards on violins.
      • As she sang, her back straightened up and she resumed her normal regal posture as her fingers pounded the keys of the piano in front of her.
      • Even today, I can laugh and cry and express anger through my fingers on piano keys.
      • She began the lyrical melody, her fingers flowing over the keys without thought, her body swaying to the lilting melody of the music.
      • This last model is for more serious keyboard players who need the approximate feel of a piano's heavier keys under their fingers.
      • Her fingers stilled on the keys as the piano strings stopped their vibrations and the lounge was silent again.
      • These ratios produce the eight notes of an octave in the musical scale corresponding to the white keys on a piano.
      • He doesn't reply but softly touches the keys of the piano.
      • His fingers sailed across the piano keys as he sang with all the feeling that he could muster.
      • Anna could barely reach the piano keys when she started showing signs of a rare musical ability.
      • In the corner was a piano, polished keys glittering under white light and two guitars - an acoustic and an electric.
      • There are twelve half-tones (black and white keys on a piano), or steps, in an octave.
      • The recordings capture the sound of his fingers on the keys, the depression of the pedals, and the click of the microphone as it turns off.
      • Sara was intently studying the ivory and black keys of the piano.
      • I walked out into the hall and ran my fingers over the piano keys.
    2. 2.2 A lever operating a mechanical device for making or breaking an electric circuit, for example in telegraphy.
      电键，电钥
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Using the Morse key, operators at the stations were able to communicate with the world 24 hours a day.
      • A woman sits at a telegraph key and rattles Morse code along a wire.
      • She had learned to shoot a pistol, crawl under barbed wire, tap out gibberish on a Morse key.

  • 3A thing that provides a means of gaining access to or understanding something.

    （寻求、探索或理解某事物的）关键

    the key to Jack's behavior may lie submerged in his unhappy past

    弄清德里克行为的关键可能隐匿在他不幸的过去中。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • But as he explains, it is this hardship that provides a key to understanding the spirit and culture of these tribes.
    • When exfoliating, the key is to remove the dead skin cells but leave healthy ones intact.
    • In the case of the stockmarket, the key to achieving good capital growth is profitability.
    • The key is to plan a fun event early in the year that features activities the family will enjoy.
    • Education is the key to a future for humankind, especially for a healthier humankind with a suitable replacement rate.
    • Moderation is the key to success when training your legs and glutes.
    • Their motivation provides a key to the distinctive nature of modern terrorism.
    • Secondly, I was always of the opinion that the key to empowering women was to provide them with choice.
    • We strongly support our volunteer local organizing committees, whose good will and hard work are the keys to success.
    • In this it seems to me he is correct and has come up with a vital key to our understanding of Elgar.
    • In my view these statements provide a significant key to the resolution of the issue before me.
    • Investment in higher education is the key to our future.
    • Clark, who is a former champion, said consistency was the key to their victory.
    • This awareness will provide the key to tracking animals, both human and otherwise.
    • The key to raising the achievement of these boys is good teaching.
    • The Dalai Lama once said that simplicity is the key to happiness in the modern world.
    • Dr Bracken said the key to providing a good service was time - and that was often in short supply.
    • Universal responsibility is the real key to human survival.
    • In a recent commencement address, she gave graduates a few keys to being a well-rounded person.
    • The inscription is therefore credited as one of the keys to opening up the thousands of years of Egyptian history.
    Synonyms
    answer, clue, solution, explanation, pointer, cue, lead
    1. 3.1 An explanatory list of symbols used in a map, table, etc.
      （地图、图表等上的）符号表，凡例
      Example sentencesExamples
      • In fact, as will be obvious to any reader who has ever used an index, the symbols in the key refer to the chapters in which the characters appear.
      • For the reader who is not familiar with Soviet map symbols, there is a key in the back of the book.
      • References to pertinent illustrations are noted within the keys to help the user visualize and clarify the plant anatomy in question.
      • References within the tables themselves are listed in a key below each individual Appendix.
      • There is extensive use of place names without accompanying maps throughout the book, and many of the maps provided lack keys and scales.
    2. 3.2 A set of answers to exercises or problems.
      （练习或问题的）答案
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The classroom teacher rated each test using answer keys, while the second author independently scored all tests.
      • If there are keys for answers, check what your child will be learning and see if it's in a skill that will be called for.
      • In North Carolina, no one at the school has access to the answer key or to grading the essays on our state tests.
      • After the teaching tips and 175 daily lessons, there's a set of workbook answer keys, tests and quiz drill sheets.
      • There are many ways of cheating on standardized tests other than doctoring the answer keys or even using questions from the test in class exercises.
      • So, be careful with this CD-ROM set as you should be with the answer key in any math textbook.
      • Answer keys for tests and practice problems are found in each chapter.
      • Then, she tried the drawer of the desk that she knew the test answer key was hidden in.
      • My music students have those same moments because they, too, have the answer key.
      • If there are no answer keys, compare your answers against those of some friends of yours who are also doing the practice competitions.
      • A good open-ended question should include a detailed answer key for the person marking the paper.
      • I have been trying to get my hands on that answer key for several years, and kept getting turned down.
    3. 3.3 A word or system for solving a cipher or code.
      密钥
      Example sentencesExamples
      • More recent viruses and blended threats also extract passwords, decryption keys and logged keystrokes.
      • Stream ciphers are essentially practical adaptations of the Vernam Cipher with small keys.
      • The ‘DaVinci code’ of the title refers to cryptic keys supposedly incorporated by Leonardo da Vinci into his art.
      • The encryption keys are sent over dedicated links, and the messages ciphered with those keys are transmitted over the Internet.
      • British agents broke into the Spanish Embassy in Washington and stole the keys to their ciphers, enabling Bletchley Park to crack the Spanish codes.
      • The strongest of all cipher systems require a random key as long as the message that's being sent.
      • Asymmetric encryption relies on two keys that work together as a pair an encryption key and a decryption key.
      • Quantum cryptography systems discard these corrupt keys and only use codes that are known to be secure.
      • How could you get a secret encryption key to someone in cyberspace?
      • Your report says that she has the code keys memorized.
      • Cryptographic keys and iris code reside in the smart card.
    4. 3.4 The first move in the solution of a chess problem.
      （下棋的）关键一着
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The key is whether the defensive king can get within the promotion ‘square’.
    5. 3.5Computing A field in a record which is used to identify that record uniquely.
      〔计算机〕关键码
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The optional TYPE part of the foreign key name is used to support multiple keys to the same TABLE FIELD.

  • 4Music
    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.

    〔乐〕调，主调

    the key of E minor

    E小调。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • The pieces are all arranged as short, two-page pieces in the keys of C, F, G, D and B-flat major.
    • Transposition is explained in a concise manner on the last page, making it easy for students to learn how to play these exercises in other keys.
    • In my profession it may even be disadvantageous because it happens that we play a piece in a different key.
    • At this point I wish Mr Gibb had written it in a slightly lower key, but what is good enough for Barbra Streisand is good enough for me.
    • The first section scampers about in a happy fashion but darkens suddenly in the key of D minor.
    • Today, I am only going to listen to music played in major keys.
    Synonyms
    tone, pitch, timbre, tonality, tone colour, modulation
    1. 4.1 The tone or pitch of someone's voice.
      （人的）声调
      his voice had changed to a lower key

      他的声音变得低沉了。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Madame Lebrun was bustling in and out, giving orders in a high key to a yard-boy.
      • She tried to keep her voice down to a calm key.
    2. 4.2 The prevailing tone or tenor of a piece of writing, situation, etc.
      〈喻〉（文章、形势等）主调，基调
      it was like the sixties all over again, in a new, more austerely intellectual key

      在一种新的更加质朴的理性基调中，好像一切都回到了60年代。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Described in the press notes as ‘a love story in a minor key,’ this will certainly strike a chord with fans of character drama.
      • The language of religion will return towards the end of his life, but in a different key, in his final collection of poems.
      • Kingsley plays Ford in a near-hysterical key throughout, his jealousy tinged with full-blown paranoia.
      • Burke comments in a more sombre key that ‘We may have spent several centuries not seeing the wood for the trees’.
      Synonyms
      style, character, mood, vein, spirit, feel, feeling, flavour, quality, humour, atmosphere
    3. 4.3 The prevailing range of tones or intensities in a painting.
      （绘画的）基本色调
      these mauves, lime greens, and saffron yellows recall the high key of El Greco's palette

      这些紫红色、石灰绿色和藏红花黄色让人回想起格列柯明快的高色调。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Canaletto began to turn out views which were more topographically accurate, set in a higher key, and with smoother handling.
      • The technique gives a high key but a reduced range of brightness.
      • Embodying the high key of colour associated with Rubénisme, it nevertheless belongs to the tradition of monumental mural painting begun by Le Brun.
      • Because of the dots and the diagonal lines and unmodulated color, I work in a color key that I love to play with.

  • 5The dry winged fruit of an ash, maple, or sycamore maple, typically growing in bunches; a samara.

    （梣树、枫树或无花果树的）翼果

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Visitors were not allowed to use pens or pencils but to use other media such as twigs, sycamore keys and string, among other things, with Indian ink to make marks.

  • 6The part of a first coat of wall plaster that passes between the laths and so secures the rest.

    板条间首层灰泥

    Example sentencesExamples
    • If the surface was primed with DG27, this first coat should be thick enough to cover over all of the key.
    1. 6.1in singular The roughness of a surface, helping the adhesion of plaster or other material.
      （有助于石膏等黏附的）粗糙表面
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Some rock lath was textured or perforated to provide a key for wet plaster.
      • Scratch the render to form a key and, the next day, fill flush with a slightly weaker mix.
      • The nibs help to secure the plaster to the lattice, reinforcing the key or bond between plaster and wood.

  • 7Basketball
    The keyhole-shaped area marked on the court near each basket, comprising the free-throw circle and the foul line.

    〔篮球〕罚球区

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Oregon retrieved the opening tip, and Flash dribbled down the court and hit a three from the top of the key.
    • The post player nearest the ball is the one to break and set a screen for the guard near the top of the key.
    • Well, the post away from the ball gets a pick and then breaks across the key.
    • If you want, you can stand near the top of the key and make the players go around you.
    • Steph's no-look pass from the top of the key last night was one of the top 10 plays of the year so far.
adjectivekikē

  • Of paramount or crucial importance.

    关键的，重要的

    she became a key figure in the suffragette movement

    她成为妇女参政运动中的关键人物。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • They say that in this case, some of the people who are retiring are in key positions.
    • I scored it a draw, with probably little overall effect on the race nationally and in key states.
    • After only three years the business now consists of several different companies - all operating in key markets.
    • The Republicans also won a series of major victories in key congressional races.
    • His friendships with key figures in government go back decades.
    • Still of key importance, the zone remains staffed by eight dedicated professionals.
    • On top of that the web-based form error checked itself, prompting you to fill in key information.
    • In particular, the size of the local catchment area will be key.
    • One of Alexander's key decisions will be whether to build airport rail links, and, if so, which one to build first.
    • Tournaments like this have made paintball what it is today through high exposure in key North American cities.
    • We could do with a couple of key professionals in key positions.
    • There are also moments when the emotional responses of key characters in key situations completely fail to ring true.
    • Before discussing our findings, it is important to consider key limitations of the study.
    • York Council is already covering the costs of storing the lights and paying for Christmas lighting in key city centre locations.
    • By focusing on key events and the figures central to those events, you make women as good as invisible, runs the argument.
    • Child psychologists are being brought into a borough's schools in a bid to pull up performance in key tests and exams.
    • Both sides were short a number of key players for this important match.
    • But they paid the price for conceding too many penalties and making too many basic errors in key situations.
    • Yesterday public schools in Yorkshire blamed the rises on a dramatic increase in key costs faced by all institutions.
    • The intention is to make the city a centre of innovation in key technologies and the authorities are betting heavily on it.
    Synonyms
    crucial, central, essential, indispensable, basic, fundamental, pivotal, critical, decisive, dominant, vital, principal, salient, prime, chief, major, leading, main, important, significant
verbkikē
[with object]

  • 1Enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard or telephone keypad.

    用计算机键盘输入（或操作）（数据）

    she keyed in a series of commands

    她键入了一系列命令。

    no object a hacker caused considerable disruption after keying into a vital database

    一名黑客进入一个重要数据库后造成了巨大的破坏。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Riddell's compositions had to be manually translated from graphic scores into very low-level information that could be keyed into the computer.
    • Whatever they keyed in was read back to them by the computer, complete with any wrong spellings, which encouraged them to make sure everything was correct.
    • Within 30 seconds of being keyed in, applications can be viewed on-screen by the hiring company.
    • Whenever I keyed in my password my fingers shook.
    • Thus, anyone who drops in should feel free to type in a question so that it will be keyed up when I return.
    • The details will already be keyed into the computer and forwarded to the pharmacy of their choice.
    • Doctor Slater finished writing out several prescriptions, then keyed in the pharmacy delivery passwords and nodded as the confirmation was displayed.
    • She took ages to key in her PIN, took ages to decide what she wanted.
    • A digital image of the check is then taken and the system verifies the amount matches the one the customer keyed in.
    • As they effortlessly key in the words there is not even an iota of confusion among them.
    • Seconds later, Susan was already standing behind Pete's screen, checking through the codes that Pete had keyed in.
    • Pics have to be uploaded directly from my laptop using the connection at home - while the words are better keyed in from an internet cafe.
    • Zack rubs his hands together as John keys in some data on his terminal.
    • AIB transactions are conducted at the Post Office counter, via a dedicated pinpad through which the customer keys in their secret code.
    • I reckon since I arrived and purchased my mobile phone I have keyed in and later deleted at least 25 numbers.
    • Even in 2005, historical data sometimes has to be keyed in by hand!
    • Start by creating the keywords you would key into a search engine to find a website like yours.
    • He moved over to his console again and keyed in a few commands.
    • She keyed in her numbers then took her card when it popped back out.
    • Hundreds of shoppers took advantage of a discount scheme - in compensation for late delivery - for which they keyed in an individual code.

  • 2usually be keyedFasten (something) in position with a pin, wedge, or bolt.

    用别针（或楔子，栓）固定

    the coils may be keyed into the slots by fiber wedges

    线圈可以用纤维楔固定在槽中。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Since the crank is keyed to the pin, I'll have to arrange for each pin to come out of its main driver, rotated as far behind the vertical center-line as it is forward, then pressed back in.
    • Immovably keyed upon the cranked shaft is a heavy wooden cone pulley.
    • With small machines, the core plates are keyed direct to the shaft.

  • 3Roughen (a surface) to help the adhesion of plaster or other material.

    （有助于石膏等黏附的）粗糙表面

    Example sentencesExamples
    • If the piece is varnished or painted, sand it well to remove most of the finish and key the surface.
    • Where no keying mix or bonding agent is specified, wet smooth concrete surfaces immediately before plastering.

  • 4Word (an advertisement in a particular periodical), typically by varying the form of the address given, so as to identify the publication generating particular responses.

    （为便于确定对某一特定刊物上所登广告的反应程度而）给（广告）加识别编码

    Example sentencesExamples
    • But the firm makes much of its money from selling advertising space keyed to the words for which its users search.

  • 5informal Vandalize a car by scraping the paint from it with a key.

    〈非正式〉用钥匙刮漆破坏（汽车）；用钥匙刮划（汽车）的表漆

    somebody could key your car and not get punished
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Again, the car did its job with confident ease and didn't get keyed in the car park.
    • For the girl ranting about keying SUVs. I'm so glad you've decided to fight against people's destructive actions with such a constructive solution.
    • My car had been keyed and my kids had been verbally assaulted after accidentally hitting the neighbour's window with a snowball.
    • I couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't get my car keyed or otherwise vandalized in the middle of the night.

  • 6North American informal Be the crucial factor in achieving.

    〈北美，非正式〉成为获得…的关键要素

    Ewing keyed a 73–35 advantage on the boards with twenty rebounds

    埃文以20个篮板球成为保持73比35优势的关键因素。

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Kaczowka keyed the offensive attack with 21 points and nine rebounds, while point guard Dani Langford contributed 15 points and eight assists.
    • The run was keyed by the re-entry into the game of forward Mike Sovran, a fifth year co-captain, who scored seven points in that span.
    • The Clan attack was keyed by Jessica Kaczowka and Teresa Kleindienst.
    • Charleton's 23 points and Neufeld's 22 points keyed SFU's offensive attack.

Phrases

  • in (or out of) key

    （不）协调

    • In (or out of) harmony.

      （不）协调

      this vaguely uplifting conclusion is out of key with the body of his book

      这一含糊其辞地鼓舞人心的结尾与该书的主体不协调。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • The saxophonist plays one of his own improvisations, deliberately falling out of key, catching himself.
      • The highlight of my night occurred when three math majors sang ‘Like a Virgin’ horribly out of key.
      • Unless you've never stopped, you'll have to rediscover this voice to properly extend your range, stop straining your vocal chords and singing out of key.
      • Many felt even this would have been an over-development, out of key with other planning studies and proposals, which have proposed lower buildings.
      • Here, though, they're wavering, sliding in and out of key.
      • The secretary of the Bradford branch of the union said: ‘If you get this wrong a whole group of schools can be totally out of key.’
      • This would last until a major fight broke out over who had the best voice… or because one of us had said the other was out of key or whatever.
      • Every song is sure to be awesome and sung out of key.
      • I can express myself vocally and I can stay in key, but I don't think I have such an awesome voice.
      • I mean, people singing along to songs, even horribly out of key, is better than groups of people talking loudly in some sort of strange choir.

Phrasal Verbs

  • key someone/something into (or in with)

    • Cause someone or something to be in harmony with.

      使（某人或某事）与…共处（或一致）；使…与…相安无事

      to those who are keyed into his lunatic sense of humor, the arrival of any Bergman movie is a major comic event

      就对那种荒唐的幽默感已经习以为常的人而言，任何一部伯格曼的新片都是一件逗乐的盛事。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • She's selling singles by new/unsigned bands she's discovered to people who are already keyed into her tastes and likes.
      • But like it or not, we will have to be keyed into the world economy in the years to come.
      • She is keyed into the American mainstream and she asks the questions we would all ask if presented with the opportunity to question celebrities.
      • It is a poignant passage that will stand the test of time and key you into meanings of shadow and redemption.
      • Do it until a single word or image is enough to key you into that state of being - emulate Pavlov's dogs.
      • The issues that conference committees ask presenters to address can often key you into trends in the field.
      • He slums about the town with his friends, falls in and out of drug addiction and keys us into the whole process.
      • Make no mistake, I'm fully keyed into the instant world.
      • Beloved smells that key you into positive memories and experience can be all the difference you need.
      • I was hoping that there might be something in there that would key me into the problem.
      • I am sure you have something precious in your world which can key you into a harmonious vibration.
      • Sometimes a title or a word will key me into the deeper store house of memories, dreams helping to project them into the music.
      • His to-the-camera monologues are absolutely the best thing about the film (for those who aren't keyed into the Manchester music scene, that is).
      • At once he keys us into his position by speaking of language as an instrument that we, its masters, can choose to play in whatever way we wish.
      • Last night I was trying to key you into some of the wisdom we have accumulated through this close-knit project of ours.
      • Your supervisor is a major resource who can key you into the dynamics of the organization and external factors that may affect your plans or area of responsibility.

  • key something to

    • Make something fit in with or be linked to.

      使与…符合（或适合）；使与…关联

      this optimism is keyed to the possibility that the US might lead in the research field

      这种乐观情绪与美国可能领先该研究领域的前景正相符合。

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Many of these regulations are keyed to specific resources within ecological systems rather than to addressing the system as a whole.
      • The displays seem to resonate with the public, especially if the themes are keyed to their cities' histories, Clark said.
      • The recall module is keyed to a preselected sound.
      • The researchers speculate that misbehaviors are keyed to ‘perceptions of inequities in the science resource distribution’ process.
      • The clavicle (Latin for a little key) keys the shoulder blade to the breast bone.
      • This symbol may come in the shape of a broach, lapel pin, medallion, anything imaginable, but it is keyed to its owner and allows them certain abilities.
      • To help users locate these features, each item on this list was keyed to a geometric grid that was overprinted on the face of the maps.
      • I'm looking for everything on a specific keyword, and if some store is keyed to that word I'm going to get their stuff.
      • The extensive end notes are keyed to each chapter.
      • Look at your tax form - the explanatory guide that comes with it is keyed to the T1 form.
      • Rather than being keyed to clinical care it is keyed to other activities that the university wishes, such as academic things (especially peer reviewed papers).
      • For texts which authors and publishers wish to keep free of superscript symbols, endnotes are keyed to such points of reference as page numbers or repeat identifying phrases from the text.
      • From a teaching point of view, therefore, the manual is excellent and, although it is keyed to a particular package, I think it would be a very good teaching tool.
      • The interest rate may go up or down over the years, and it is keyed to a financial market index.
      • The numbers above the heads of the passengers are keyed to lines of dialogue recorded below.
      • Bureaucratic incentives aren't keyed to getting jobs for those on welfare.
      • It invites us to join the melodrama, keying our responses to the silly excess of the movie itself.
      • There is indeed a digital divide in cyberculture studies, and, like the digital divide in on-line access, it is keyed to racial categories.
      • The Google search engine has paid advertising, and it is keyed to the object of a user's search.
      • His work, because it is keyed to the environment in which he performs, has never been recorded because he has felt that this presentation would minimize the impact of his performance.

  • be keyed up

    • Be nervous, tense, or excited, especially before an important event.

      （尤指在重要事情开始前）使紧张，使兴奋

      Example sentencesExamples
      • You know, Ms. Jackson, I have really been keyed up about this interview, and I guess maybe it shows.
      • You had better believe that there were a number of golf pros who were keyed up a little bit more than usual.
      • It was impossible to disguise the fact that Bolton was keyed up to an almost unbearable pitch.
      • Lilly was too keyed up to pay attention to Heather's doses of sarcasm.
      • She was too keyed up to go back to sleep.
      • Fresh off a successful concert on Saturday night, the talented Maria Dunn is keyed up about two gigs she has this weekend.
      • The 28th Division was keyed up by a visit and inspection from their boss Eisenhower, certain in the knowledge that they were to be among the first to assault France.
      • The Venezuelans should be here any minute and this lobby full of reporters is keyed up and ready to pounce.
      • They are certainly going to be keyed up.
      • I was vaguely tired, but a little too keyed up (or not interested enough) to take a nap.
      • He's gently crinkling a beer can in his hand and I wouldn't say his eyes are dancing but he definitely looks keyed up about something.
      • Last Saturday night, we had friends over and I must have been keyed up because I couldn't fall asleep that night.
      • In it you can relax and let your guard down instead of being keyed up or on edge all the time.
      • I was keyed up, pumped.
      • He was really keyed up, more excited than Dryden had ever seen him.
      • And there's another reason why Priaulx is keyed up about the races at his home track: ‘I spent a long time at Silverstone as an instructor.’
      • Not having visited the town since last year, he had been keyed up about what had meant to be a three-day trip.
      • Keyed up by months of training, we were anxious to go.
      • I allowed myself to be keyed up and nervous before I got here, but now I am here I focus on the business.
      • The atmosphere was really good, everyone was keyed up and looking forward to the water fun.
      • It was much earlier than Jake usually got to his office, but he was keyed up, and hadn't been able to sleep.
      • The guys are keyed up for the event.
      • At midnight when you get off work and you're all keyed up, I'm all worn out.
      • After bath, brush and lotion, we were keyed up so it took about 20 minutes to calm down and go to sleep.
      • Johnny is keyed up about tomorrow, the Fourth of July: lots of fun times ahead for him and his family.
      • We had already been keyed up for the June 5 assault, and now we had another day of adrenalin rush to deal with.
      • Since I was keyed up from the day's preparations (working, packing, traveling), it took me a few hours to relax though.
      • Everyone was keyed up and had been worrying about my safety in getting from the station to the house.
      • He did not do much against South Africa and therefore, would be keyed up to prove a point or two.
      • I tried a couple of times to get her to giggle hard enough to make her snort, but both of us were kind of keyed up so my attempts failed pretty miserably.

Origin

Old English cǣg, cǣge, of unknown origin.

key2

nounkikē

  • A low-lying island or reef, especially in the Caribbean.

    （尤指加勒比海中的）低岛，礁。比较CAY

    Compare with cay
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Now, you'll appreciate that the Bahamas is an island chain of more than 700 islands and keys.
    • A lot of people have already left the keys, along with some mainland residents.
    • People are urged to keep a close eye on this storm: mandatory evacuations already have been issued for Florida's keys.
    • These flat and unexceptional little keys, just south of Cuba in the Northern Caribbean, enjoy the status of a tax haven.
    • He was sentenced to life imprisonment at Fort Jefferson, a huge fort in the Dry Tortugas, islands 70 miles off the Florida keys.
    • Storm surge will also be a concern in southwest Florida, the keys, and the areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee.

Origin

Late 17th century: from Spanish cayo ‘shoal, reef’, influenced by quay.

noun.1
phr.
phr.v.
noun.2
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