keyhole

[ kee-hohl ]
/ ˈkiˌhoʊl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR keyhole ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a hole for inserting a key in a lock, especially one in the shape of a circle with a rectangle having a width smaller than the diameter of the circle projecting from the bottom.
Also called key. Basketball. the area at each end of the court that is bounded by two lines extending from the end line parallel to and equidistant from the sidelines and terminating in a circle around the foul line.

adjective

extremely private or intimate, especially with reference to information gained as if by peeping through a keyhole.
snooping and intrusive: a keyhole investigator.

Origin of keyhole

First recorded in 1585–95; key1 + hole

Words nearby keyhole

keyboard, keyboard warrior, keyboardist, keyed, keyes technique, keyhole, keyhole saw, keyhole surgery, keying sequence, keyless, keylock

Words related to keyhole

dent, tunnel, void, crater, pocket, window, gap, pit, break, cut, space, mouth, crack, vent, cranny, excavation, covert, hollow, chasm, cistern

Example sentences from the Web for keyhole

British Dictionary definitions for keyhole

keyhole
/ (ˈkiːˌhəʊl) /

noun

an aperture in a door or a lock case through which a key may be passed to engage the lock mechanism
any small aperture resembling a keyhole in shape or function
a transient column of vapour or plasma formed during the welding or cutting of materials, using high energy beams, such as lasers