kea ['kē-ə] -n

  1. a large mostly dull green New Zealand parrot ( Nestor notabilis) that is normally insectivorous but sometimes destroys sheep by slashing the back to feed on the kidney fat

ke·bab [kə-'bäb also 'kā-,] -n

  1. cubes of meat (as lamb or beef) marinated and cooked with vegetables usu. on a skewer

keb·buck ['ke-bək] -n

  1. a whole wheel or ball of cheese

kedge ['kej] -vb

  1. to move (a ship) by means of a line attached to a small anchor dropped at the distance and in the direction desired
  2. to move a ship by kedging
  3. a small anchor used esp. in kedging

ked·ge·ree ['ke-jə-rē] -n

  1. an Indian dish of seasoned rice, beans, lentils, and sometimes smoked fish
  2. cooked or smoked fish, rice, hard-boiled eggs, and seasoning heated in cream

keek ['kēk] -vi

  1. peep, look
  2. peep, look

keel ['kēl] -vb

  1. cool
  2. a flat-bottomed barge used esp. on the Tyne to carry coal
  3. the chief structural member of a boat or ship that extends longitudinally along the center of its bottom and that often projects from the bottom
  4. this projection
  5. ship
  6. a projection suggesting a keel
  7. carina
  8. to fall in or as if in a faint usu. used with over
  9. to heel or lean precariously
  10. red ocher

keel·boat ['kēl-,bōt] -n

  1. a shallow covered keeled riverboat that is usu. rowed, poled, or towed and that is used for freight
  2. a keeled sailboat

keel·haul [-,hȯl] -vt

  1. to haul under the keel of a ship as punishment or torture
  2. to rebuke severely

keel·son ['kel-sən, 'kēl-] -n

  1. a longitudinal structure running above and fastened to the keel of a ship in order to stiffen and strengthen its framework

keen ['kēn] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a fine edge or point : sharp
  2. affecting one as if by cutting
    • keen sarcasm
  3. pungent to the sense
    • a keen scent
  4. showing a quick and ardent responsiveness : enthusiastic
    • a keen swimmer
  5. eager
    • was keen to begin
  6. intense
    • the keen delight in the chase -- F. W. Maitland
  7. intellectually alert : having or characteristic of a quick penetrating mind
    • a keen student
    • a keen awareness of the problem
  8. shrewdly astute
  9. sharply contested
    • keen debate
  10. extremely sensitive in perception
    • keen eyes
  11. wonderful, excellent
  12. a lamentation for the dead uttered in a loud wailing voice or sometimes in a wordless cry
  13. to lament with a keen
  14. to make a sound suggestive of a keen
  15. to lament, mourn, or complain loudly
  16. to utter by keening

keep ['kēp] -vb

  1. : to take notice of by appropriate conduct : fulfill: as
  2. to be faithful to
    • keep a promise
  3. to act fittingly in relation to
    • keep the Sabbath
  4. to conform to in habits or conduct
    • keep late hours
  5. to stay in accord with (a beat)
    • keep time
  6. : preserve, maintain: as
  7. to watch over and defend
    • keep us from harm
  8. to take care of : tend
    • keep a garden
  9. support
  10. to maintain in a good, fitting, or orderly condition usu. used with up
  11. to continue to maintain
    • keep watch
  12. to cause to remain in a given place, situation, or condition
    • keep him waiting
  13. to preserve (food) in an unspoiled condition
  14. to have or maintain in an established position or relationship
    • keep a mistress
    often used with on
    • kept the cook on
  15. to lodge or feed for pay
    • keep boarders
  16. to maintain a record in
    • keep a diary
  17. to enter in a book
    • keep records
  18. to have customarily in stock for sale
  19. to restrain from departure or removal : detain
    • keep children after school
  20. hold back, restrain
    • keep them from going
    • kept him back with difficulty
  21. save, reserve
    • keep some for later
    • kept some out for a friend
  22. to refrain from revealing
    • keep a secret
  23. to retain in one's possession or power
    • kept the money we found
  24. to refrain from granting, giving, or allowing
    • kept the news back
  25. to have in control
    • keep your temper
  26. to confine oneself to
    • keep my room
  27. to stay or continue in
    • keep the path
    • keep your seat
  28. to stay or remain on or in usu. against opposition : hold
    • kept her ground
  29. conduct, manage
    • keep a tearoom
  30. live, lodge
  31. to maintain a course, direction, or progress
    • keep to the right
  32. to continue usu. without interruption
    • keep talking
    • keep quiet
    • keep on smiling
  33. to persist in a practice
    • kept bothering them
    • kept on smoking in spite of warnings
  34. : stay, remain
    • keep out of the way
    • keep off the grass
    : as
  35. to stay even usu. used with up
    • keep up with the Joneses
  36. to remain in good condition
    • meat will keep in the freezer
  37. to remain secret
    • the secret would keep
  38. to call for no immediate action
    • the matter will keep until morning
  39. abstain, refrain
    • can't keep from talking
  40. to be in session
    • school will keep through the winter -- W. M. Thayer
  41. to retain possession of a football esp. after faking a handoff
  42. custody, charge
  43. maintenance
  44. : one that keeps or protects: as
  45. fortress, castle
  46. the strongest and securest part of a medieval castle
  47. one whose job is to keep or tend
  48. prison, jail
  49. the means or provisions by which one is kept
    • earned his keep
  50. keeper

keepaway ['kēp-ə-,wā] -n

  1. a game in which two or more players try to keep an object (as a ball) from one or more other players

keep down -vt

  1. to keep in control
    • keep expenses down
  2. to prevent from growing, advancing, or succeeding

keep·er ['kē-pər] -n

  1. : one that keeps: as
  2. protector
  3. gamekeeper
  4. warden
  5. custodian
  6. curator
  7. any of various devices for keeping something in position
  8. : one suitable for or worth keeping: as
  9. a fruit or vegetable that keeps well
  10. a fish large enough to be legally caught and kept
  11. one having genuine or lasting merit
    • their new album is a keeper
  12. a domestic animal considered with respect to how easy it is to care for
    • an easy keeper
  13. goalkeeper
  14. an offensive football play in which the quarterback runs with the ball

keeping -n

  1. : the act of one that keeps: as
  2. custody, maintenance
  3. observance
  4. a reserving or preserving for future use
  5. the means by which something is kept : support, provision
  6. the state of being kept or the condition in which something is kept
    • the house is in good keeping
  7. conformity
    • in keeping with good taste
    • out of keeping with the decor

keeping room -n

  1. a common room (as in a colonial house) usu. used for multiple purposes

keep·sake ['kēp-,sāk] -n

  1. something kept or given to be kept as a memento

keep up -vt

  1. to persist or persevere in
    • kept up the good work
  2. maintain, sustain
    • keep standards up
  3. to keep adequately informed or up-to-date
    • keep up on international affairs
  4. to continue without interruption
    • rain kept up all night
  5. to maintain contact or relations with
    • keep up with old friends

kees·hond ['kās-,hȯnt] -n

  1. any of a Dutch breed of compact medium-sized dogs that have a dense heavy grayish coat and a foxy head

kef ['kēf, 'kef, 'kāf] -n

  1. a state of dreamy tranquillity
  2. a smoking material (as marijuana) that produces kef

keffiyeh [kə-'fē-ə] -n

(variant of kaffiyeh)

  1. an Arab headdress consisting of a square of cloth folded to form a triangle and held on by a cord

ke·fir [ke-'fir; 'kē-fər, 'ke-] -n

  1. a beverage of fermented cow's milk

keg ['keg, dial 'kag, 'kāg] -n

  1. a small cask or barrel having a capacity of 30 gallons or less
  2. the contents of a keg

Ke·gel exercises ['kā-gəl-, 'kē-] -n pl

  1. repetitive contractions by a woman of the pelvic muscles that control the flow in urination in order to strengthen these muscles esp. to control or prevent incontinence or to enhance sexual responsiveness during intercourse called also Kegels

keg·ger ['ke-gər] -n

  1. a party featuring one or more kegs of beer called also keg party

keg·ler ['ke-glər, 'kā-] -n

  1. bowler

keg·ling ['ke-gliŋ, 'kā-] -n

  1. bowling

kei·ret·su [kā-'ret-(,)sü, ke-] -n

  1. a powerful alliance of Japanese businesses often linked by cross-shareholding

keis·ter ['kēs-tər, 'kīs-] -n

  1. buttocks

kelim [kē-'lēm] -n

(variant of kilim)

  1. a pileless handwoven reversible rug or covering made in Turkey, Kurdistan, the Caucasus, Iran, and western Turkestan

kel·ly green ['ke-lē-] -n

  1. a strong yellowish green

ke·loid ['kē-,lȯid] -n, adj

  1. a thick scar resulting from excessive growth of fibrous tissue

kelp ['kelp] -n

  1. any of various large brown seaweeds (order Laminariales)
  2. a mass of large seaweeds
  3. the ashes of seaweed used esp. as a source of iodine

kelp bass -n

  1. a mottled sea bass ( Paralabrax clathratus) that occurs along the Pacific coast of the U.S. and is an important sport fish

kel·pie ['kel-pē] -n

  1. a water sprite of Scottish folklore that delights in or brings about the drowning of wayfarers

kelpie -n

  1. any of a breed of energetic working dogs developed in Australia from British sheepdogs

kel·vin ['kel-vən] -n

  1. the base unit of temperature in the International System of Units that is equal to 1/273.16 of the Kelvin scale temperature of the triple point of water

Kelvin -adj

  1. relating to, conforming to, or having a thermometric scale on which the unit of measurement equals the Celsius degree and according to which absolute zero is 0 K, the equivalent of 273.15C

kemp ['kemp] -n

  1. a coarse fiber esp. of wool that is usu. short, wavy, and white, has little affinity for dye, and is used in mixed wools

Kemp's ridley ['kemps-] -n

  1. a small gray sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempii) with a wide rounded shell that occurs esp. in the Gulf of Mexico and along the U.S. Atlantic coast called also Kemp's ridley turtle

kempt ['kem(p)t] -adj

  1. neatly kept

ken ['ken] -vb

  1. see
  2. recognize
  3. know
  4. know
  5. the range of vision
  6. sight, view
    • 'tis double death to drown in ken of shore -- Shak.
  7. the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge
    • abstract words that are beyond the ken of young children -- Lois M. Rettie

ke·naf [kə-'naf] -n

  1. an African hibiscus ( Hibiscus cannabinus) widely cultivated for its fiber
  2. the fiber used esp. for making paper and cordage

Ken·dal green ['ken-dᵊl-] -n

  1. a green woolen cloth resembling homespun or tweed

ken·do ['ken-(,)dō] -n

  1. a Japanese sport of fencing usu. with bamboo swords

ken·nel ['ke-nᵊl] -n

  1. a shelter for a dog or cat
  2. an establishment for the breeding or boarding of dogs or cats
  3. a pack of dogs

kennel -vb

  1. to take shelter in or as if in a kennel
  2. to put or keep in or as if in a kennel
  3. a gutter in a street

ken·ning ['ke-niŋ] -n

  1. a perceptible but small amount

kenning -n

  1. a metaphorical compound word or phrase (as swan-roadfor ocean) used esp. in Old English and Old Norse poetry

ke·no ['kē-(,)nō] -n

  1. a game resembling bingo

ke·no·sis [kə-'nō-səs, kē-] -n, adj

  1. the relinquishment of divine attributes by Jesus Christ in becoming human

ken·speck·le ['ken-,spe-kəl] -adj

  1. conspicuous

ken·te cloth ['ken-,tā-] -n

  1. colorfully patterned cloth traditionally woven by hand in Ghana called also kente

kent·ledge ['kent-lij] -n

  1. pig iron or scrap metal used as ballast

Ken·tucky bluegrass [kən-'tə-kē-] -n

  1. an Old World pasture and meadow grass ( Poa pratensis) naturalized in America called also bluegrass

Kentucky coffee tree -n

  1. a tall No. American tree ( Gymnocladus dioica) of the legume family with bipinnate leaves and large woody brown pods whose seeds have been used as a substitute for coffee

Kentucky rifle -n

  1. a muzzle-loading long-barreled flintlock rifle developed in the 18th century in Pennsylvania and used extensively on the American frontier

Ke·ogh plan ['kē-(,)ō-] -n

  1. an individual retirement account for the self-employed

ke·pi ['kā-pē, 'ke-] -n

  1. a military cap with a round flat top usu. sloping toward the front and a visor

kept ['kēp] -vb

(variant of keep)

  1. : to take notice of by appropriate conduct : fulfill: as
  2. to be faithful to
    • keep a promise
  3. to act fittingly in relation to
    • keep the Sabbath
  4. to conform to in habits or conduct
    • keep late hours
  5. to stay in accord with (a beat)
    • keep time
  6. : preserve, maintain: as
  7. to watch over and defend
    • keep us from harm
  8. to take care of : tend
    • keep a garden
  9. support
  10. to maintain in a good, fitting, or orderly condition usu. used with up
  11. to continue to maintain
    • keep watch
  12. to cause to remain in a given place, situation, or condition
    • keep him waiting
  13. to preserve (food) in an unspoiled condition
  14. to have or maintain in an established position or relationship
    • keep a mistress
    often used with on
    • kept the cook on
  15. to lodge or feed for pay
    • keep boarders
  16. to maintain a record in
    • keep a diary
  17. to enter in a book
    • keep records
  18. to have customarily in stock for sale
  19. to restrain from departure or removal : detain
    • keep children after school
  20. hold back, restrain
    • keep them from going
    • kept him back with difficulty
  21. save, reserve
    • keep some for later
    • kept some out for a friend
  22. to refrain from revealing
    • keep a secret
  23. to retain in one's possession or power
    • kept the money we found
  24. to refrain from granting, giving, or allowing
    • kept the news back
  25. to have in control
    • keep your temper
  26. to confine oneself to
    • keep my room
  27. to stay or continue in
    • keep the path
    • keep your seat
  28. to stay or remain on or in usu. against opposition : hold
    • kept her ground
  29. conduct, manage
    • keep a tearoom
  30. live, lodge
  31. to maintain a course, direction, or progress
    • keep to the right
  32. to continue usu. without interruption
    • keep talking
    • keep quiet
    • keep on smiling
  33. to persist in a practice
    • kept bothering them
    • kept on smoking in spite of warnings
  34. : stay, remain
    • keep out of the way
    • keep off the grass
    : as
  35. to stay even usu. used with up
    • keep up with the Joneses
  36. to remain in good condition
    • meat will keep in the freezer
  37. to remain secret
    • the secret would keep
  38. to call for no immediate action
    • the matter will keep until morning
  39. abstain, refrain
    • can't keep from talking
  40. to be in session
    • school will keep through the winter -- W. M. Thayer
  41. to retain possession of a football esp. after faking a handoff
  42. custody, charge
  43. maintenance
  44. : one that keeps or protects: as
  45. fortress, castle
  46. the strongest and securest part of a medieval castle
  47. one whose job is to keep or tend
  48. prison, jail
  49. the means or provisions by which one is kept
    • earned his keep
  50. keeper

kerat- -comb form

  1. cornea
    • kerat itis

ker·a·tec·to·my [,ker-ə-'tek-tə-mē] -n

  1. surgical excision of part of the cornea

ker·a·tin ['ker-ə-tən] -n, adj

  1. any of various sulfur-containing fibrous proteins that form the chemical basis of horny epidermal tissues (as hair and nails)

ke·ra·ti·ni·za·tion [,ker-ə-tə-nə-'zā-shən, kə-,ra-tə-nə-] -n, vb

  1. conversion into keratin or keratinous tissue

ker·a·ti·tis [,ker-ə-'tī-təs] -n

  1. inflammation of the cornea of the eye

ker·a·to·con·junc·ti·vi·tis ['ker-ə-(,)tō-kən-,jəŋ(k)-tə-'vī-təs] -n

  1. combined inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva

ker·at·o·mil·eu·sis [,ker-ə-tō-mil-'(y)ü-səs] -n

  1. keratoplasty in which a piece of the cornea is removed, frozen, shaped to correct refractive error, and reinserted

ker·a·to·plas·ty ['ker-ə-tō-,plas-tē] -n

  1. plastic surgery on the cornea
  2. corneal grafting

ker·a·to·sis [,ker-ə-'tō-səs] -n, adj

  1. an area of skin marked by overgrowth of horny tissue

kerb ['kərb] -n

  1. curb

ker·chief ['kər-chəf, -,chēf] -n, adj

  1. a square of cloth used as a head covering or worn as a scarf around the neck
  2. handkerchief

Ke·res ['kā-,rās] -n

  1. keresan
  2. the group of dialects spoken by the Keresans

Ker·e·san ['ker-ə-sən] -n

  1. a family of American Indian languages of which the Keres dialects comprise the only member
  2. a member of any of the seven Keres-speaking Pueblo Indian communities of central New Mexico

kerf ['kərf] -n

  1. a slit or notch made by a saw or cutting torch
  2. the width of cut made by a saw or cutting torch

ker·floo·ey [kər-'flü-ē] -adj

  1. awry, kaput
    • go kerflooey

ker·fuf·fle [kər-'fə-fəl] -n

  1. disturbance, fuss

ker·mes ['kər-(,)mēz] -n

  1. the dried bodies of the females of various scale insects (genus Kermes) that are found on a Mediterranean oak ( Quercus coccifera) and constitute a red dyestuff
  2. the dye

ker·mis ['kər-məs] -n

  1. an outdoor festival of the Low Countries
  2. a fair held usu. for charitable purposes

kern ['kərn, 'kern] -n

  1. a light-armed foot soldier of medieval Ireland or Scotland
  2. yokel
  3. a part of a typeset letter that projects beyond its side bearings

ker·nel ['kər-nᵊl] -n

  1. a fruit seed
  2. the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
  3. a whole seed of a cereal
    • a kernel of corn
  4. a central or essential part : germ
    • like many stereotypes...this one too contains some kernel s of truth -- S. M. Lyman
  5. a subset of the elements of one set (as a group) that a function (as a homomorphism) maps onto an identity element of another set

kern·ite ['kər-,nīt] -n

  1. a colorless to white mineral that consists of a hydrous borate of sodium

ker·o·gen ['ker-ə-jən, 'ke-rə-] -n

  1. bituminous material occurring in shale and yielding oil when heated

ker·o·sene ['ker-ə-,sēn, ,ker-ə-'] -n

  1. a flammable hydrocarbon oil usu. obtained by distillation of petroleum and used for a fuel and as a solvent and thinner

ker·ria ['ker-ē-ə, 'ke-rē-] -n

  1. a shrub ( Kerria japonica) of the rose family that is native to China and Japan and has solitary yellow and often double flowers

ker·ry ['ker-ē, 'ke-rē] -n

  1. any of an Irish breed of small hardy black dairy cattle

Kerry blue terrier -n

  1. any of an Irish breed of medium-sized terriers with a long squarish head, deep chest, and silky bluish coat

ker·sey ['kər-zē] -n

  1. a coarse ribbed woolen cloth for hose and work clothes
  2. a heavy wool or wool and cotton fabric used esp. for uniforms and coats
  3. a garment of kersey

ker·sey·mere ['kər-zē-,mir] -n

  1. a fine woolen fabric with a close nap made in fancy twill weaves

ke·ryg·ma [kə-'rig-mə] -n, adj

  1. the apostolic proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ

kes·trel ['kes-trəl] -n

  1. : any of various small chiefly Old World falcons (genus Falco) that usu. hover in the air while searching for prey: as
  2. a common Eurasian falcon ( F. tinnunculus)
  3. an American falcon ( F. sparverius) having a reddish-brown back and tail and bluish-gray wings

ket- -comb form

  1. ketone
    • ket osis

ke·ta·mine ['kē-tə-,mēn] -n

  1. a general anesthetic administered intravenously and intramuscularly in the form of its hydrochloride C 13H 16ClNOHCl

ketch ['kech] -n

  1. a fore-and-aft rigged vessel similar to a yawl but with a larger mizzen sail and with the mizzenmast stepped farther forward

ketch·up ['ke-chəp, 'ka-] -n

  1. a seasoned pureed condiment usu. made from tomatoes

ke·tene ['kē-,tēn] -n

  1. a colorless poisonous gas C 2H 2O of penetrating odor used esp. as an acetylating agent
  2. any of various derivatives of this compound

ke·to ['kē-(,)tō] -adj

  1. of or relating to a ketone
  2. containing a ketone group

ke·to·co·na·zole [,kē-tō-'kō-nə-,zōl] -n

  1. a synthetic broad-spectrum antifungal agent C 26H 28Cl 2N 4O 4used to treat chronic internal and cutaneous infections

ke·to·gen·e·sis [,kē-tō-'je-nə-səs] -n, adj

  1. the production of ketone bodies (as in diabetes)

ke·to·glu·tar·ic acid [-glü-'ta-rik-] -n

  1. either of two crystalline keto derivatives C 5H 6O 5of glutaric acid
  2. the alpha keto isomer formed in various metabolic processes (as the Krebs cycle)

ke·tone ['kē-,tōn] -n, adj

  1. any of a class of organic compounds (as acetone) that are characterized by a carbonyl group attached to two carbon atoms

ketone body -n

  1. any of the three compounds acetoacetic acid, acetone, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid which are normal intermediates in lipid metabolism and accumulate in the blood and urine in abnormal amounts in conditions of impaired metabolism (as diabetes mellitus)

ke·tose ['kē-,tōs, -,tōz] -n

  1. a sugar (as fructose) containing in its acyclic form one ketone group per molecule

ke·to·sis [kē-'tō-səs] -n, adj

  1. an abnormal increase of ketone bodies in the body

ke·to·ste·roid [,kē-tō-'stir-,ȯid also -'ster-] -n

  1. a steroid (as cortisone or estrone) containing a ketone group

ket·tle ['ke-tᵊl] -n

  1. a metallic vessel usu. used for boiling liquids
  2. teakettle
  3. kettledrum
  4. pothole
  5. a steep-sided hollow without surface drainage esp. in a deposit of glacial drift

ket·tle·drum [-,drəm] -n

  1. a percussion instrument that consists of a hollow brass, copper, or fiberglass hemisphere with a calfskin or plastic head whose tension can be changed to vary the pitch

kettle of fish

  1. a bad state of affairs : mess
  2. something to be considered or reckoned with : matter
    • books and discs...were two very different kettles of fish -- Roland Gelatt

keV -abbr

  1. kilo-electron-volt

Kew·pie ['kyü-pē] -trademark

  1. used for a small chubby doll with a topknot of hair

key ['kē] -n, adj

  1. a usu. metal instrument by which the bolt of a lock is turned
  2. any of various devices having the form or function of such a key
  3. a means of gaining or preventing entrance, possession, or control
  4. an instrumental or deciding factor
  5. something that gives an explanation or identification or provides a solution
    • the key to a riddle
  6. a list of words or phrases giving an explanation of symbols or abbreviations
  7. an aid to interpretation or identification : clue
  8. an arrangement of the salient characters of a group of plants or animals or of taxa designed to facilitate identification
  9. a map legend
  10. cotter pin
  11. cotter
  12. a keystone in an arch
  13. a small piece of wood or metal used as a wedge or for preventing motion between parts
  14. one of the levers of a keyboard musical instrument that actuates the mechanism and produces the tones
  15. a lever that controls a vent in the side of a woodwind instrument or a valve in a brass instrument
  16. a part to be depressed by a finger that serves as one unit of a keyboard
  17. samara
  18. a system of tones and harmonies generated from a hierarchical scale of seven tones based on a tonic
    • the key of G major
  19. characteristic style or tone
  20. the tone or pitch of a voice
  21. the predominant tone of a photograph with respect to its lightness or darkness
  22. a decoration or charm resembling a key
  23. a small switch for opening or closing an electric circuit
    • a telegraph key
  24. the set of instructions governing the encipherment and decipherment of messages
  25. a free-throw area in basketball
  26. : to lock with or as if with a key : fasten: as
  27. to secure (as a pulley on a shaft) by a key
  28. to finish off (an arch) by inserting a keystone
  29. to regulate the musical pitch of
  30. to bring into harmony or conformity : make appropriate : attune
    • remarks key ed to a situation
  31. to identify (a biological specimen) by a key
  32. to provide with identifying or explanatory cross-references
    • instructions key ed to accompanying drawings -- John Gartner
  33. to make nervous, tense, or excited usu. used with up
    • was key ed up over her impending operation
  34. keyboard often used with in
  35. to be essential to : play the most important part in
    • defense key ed the victory
  36. to use a key
  37. to observe the position or movement of an opposing player in football in order to anticipate the play usu. used with on
  38. keyboard
  39. important, fundamental
    • key issues
  40. a low island or reef
  41. any of the coral islets off the southern coast of Florida
  42. a kilogram esp. of marijuana or heroin

key·board ['kē-,bȯrd] -n

  1. a bank of keys on a musical instrument (as a piano) that usu. consists of seven white and five raised black keys to the octave
  2. an assemblage of systematically arranged keys by which a machine or device is operated
  3. a board on which keys for locks are hung
  4. a musical instrument that is played by means of a keyboard

keyboard -vt, n

  1. to capture or set (as data or text) by means of a keyboard
  2. to operate a machine (as for typesetting) by means of a keyboard

key·board·ist ['kē-,bȯr-dist] -n

  1. a person who plays a keyboard musical instrument

key·but·ton ['kē-,bə-tᵊn] -n

  1. key

key club -n

  1. an informal private club serving liquor and providing entertainment

key deer -n

  1. a very small rare white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus clavium) native to the Florida Keys

key grip [,kē-] -n

  1. the technician in charge of moving and setting up camera tracks and scenery in a motion-picture or television production

key·hole ['kē-,hōl] -n

  1. a hole for receiving a key
  2. key

keyhole -adj

  1. revealingly intimate
    • a keyhole report
  2. intent on revealing intimate details
    • keyhole columnists

keyhole saw -n

  1. a narrow pointed fine-toothed handsaw used esp. for cutting curves of short radius

key light -n

  1. the main light illuminating a photographic subject

key lime -n

  1. a small aromatic lime

key lime pie -n

  1. a usu. meringue-topped lime-custard pie traditionally made from key limes

Keynes·ian·ism ['kān-zē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n, n or adj

  1. the economic theories and programs ascribed to John M. Keynes and his followers
  2. the advocacy of monetary and fiscal programs by government to increase employment and spending

key·note ['kē-,nōt] -n

  1. the first and harmonically fundamental tone of a scale
  2. the fundamental or central fact, idea, or mood
    • sadness is the keynote of this little collection -- Books Abroad

keynote -vt, n

  1. to set the keynote of
  2. to deliver the keynote address at

keynote address -n

  1. an address designed to present the issues of primary interest to an assembly (as a political convention) and often to arouse unity and enthusiasm called also keynote speech

keynote speaker -n

  1. one who delivers a keynote address

key·pad ['kē-,pad] -n

  1. a small often handheld keyboard

key·punch ['kē-,pənch] -n

  1. a machine with a keyboard used to cut holes or notches in punch cards

keypunch -vt, n

  1. to enter (data) on punch cards with a keypunch

key signature -n

  1. the sharps or flats placed after a clef in music to indicate the key

key·stone ['kē-,stōn] -n

  1. the wedge-shaped piece at the crown of an arch that locks the other pieces in place
  2. something on which associated things depend for support
    • determination, a keystone of the puritan ethic -- L. S. Lewis
  3. a species of plant or animal that produces a major impact (as by predation) on its ecosystem and is considered essential to maintaining optimum ecosystem function or structure

key·stroke [-,strōk] -n

  1. the act or an instance of depressing a key on a keyboard

keystroke -vt

  1. keyboard

key·way [-,wā] -n

  1. a groove or channel for a key
  2. the aperture for the key in a lock having a flat metal key

key word [-,wərd] -n

  1. : a word that is a key: as
  2. a word exemplifying the meaning or value of a letter or symbol
  3. a significant word from a title or document used esp. as an index to content