| desk |
Sometimes a desk is a counter where you can get some kind of help or service. In a hotel, the front desk is where you get the key to your room. [1/2 definitions] |
| gridlock |
a traffic jam in which no vehicles can move in any direction because key streets are blocked by traffic. |
| handcuff |
Handcuffs are a device used to hold together the wrists of a prisoner. They are often used by police. Handcuffs have two metal rings that go around the wrists. The rings are joined together by a chain or bar but can be opened by a key. |
| have got |
(informal) "Have got" means "have." And "has got" means "has." If you say you "have got" a dog, you are saying that you "have" a dog. "Have got" means "have," but you can only use it when you're talking about the present. There is no past tense form of "have got." "Have got" and "has got" are often abbreviated, as in "I've got an idea" or "She's got the key." |
| insert |
When you insert something into another thing, you put it into it. When you want to open a lock, you usually insert a key. [1/2 definitions] |
| key1 |
A key is a small piece of metal that is a cut in a special way. It is used to open or close a lock. People use keys to lock their doors, their cars, and other things that they want to keep safe. [5 definitions] |
| keyhole |
a hole in a lock into which a key is put to lock and unlock it. |
| latch |
A latch is a kind of lock that people sometimes have on a door. A latch does not use a key. A latch has a bar that slides across the edge of the door and fits into a hole. When the bar is in the hole, the door is locked. To open the latch, you move the bar the other way. Locks that work in a similar way to this are also called latches. People sometimes use latches on gates and windows too. |
| lock1 |
a mechanical device for keeping others from opening a door, window, or a safe. Locks are usually opened with a key or a combination. [1/5 definitions] |
| means |
A means is a way of doing something, or it is something that makes it possible to do something. Buses are a means of transportation. If you have a key, you have a means of getting into something. |
| note |
A note is a single sound in music. If you press any key on a piano, you will play one note. Notes are also symbols we use when we read or write music. Each written note stands for a single musical sound. [1/7 definitions] |
| passport |
Sometimes a passport is like a ticket or a key that lets you do something important that you want to do in your life. [1/2 definitions] |
| pick1 |
When someone picks a lock, they open the lock with a sharp tool that is not a key. [1/9 definitions] |
| punch1 |
When you punch a button or computer key, you quickly push or press it. [1/4 definitions] |
| signature |
a sign used to indicate the key or tempo of a piece of music. [1/2 definitions] |
| suite |
A suite is a set of rooms that are connected with each other, especially in a hotel. Instead of staying in separate rooms, each with a different key, a family might stay in a suite with just one door to the outside hallway. Some people just like to stay in a suite because of the extra space. [1/2 definitions] |
| tap1 |
When you tap something, you hit it just a little, usually with your finger or your toes. For example, you might tap a key on a computer with your finger. Or you might tap the floor with your foot. Sometimes when you tap something, you do it while holding something else, like when you tap a desk with a pencil. [1/4 definitions] |
| the1 |
"The" is a word we often use before other words like "chair," "library," "dog," and "girl"--words for things, places, or people. We use "the" before words like these when everyone knows which thing or person we are talking about. If we say to a friend, "I lost the key," the friend knows which key you mean out of all the keys in the world. |
| to |
A key to your house is a key that is used for your house. [1/9 definitions] |
| unlock |
to open the lock of by turning a key or mechanism. [1/3 definitions] |
| with |
When your dad locks the door with a key, it means that he locks the door by using a key. If you write with a pen, you write by using a pen. [1/4 definitions] |