keyboard

/ˈkiːbɔːd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkiːbɔːrd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkē-ˌbȯrd/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkiː.bɔːd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkiː.bɔːrd/ (ame, ipa)

keyboard — noun

  • keyboardsingular
  • keyboardsplural

1. a flat board with a set of small buttons marked with letters, numbers, and symbo

1.名詞A1
釋義

a flat board with a set of small buttons marked with letters, numbers, and symbols, used for typing text or giving commands to a computer, phone, or tablet

例句

Kian spilled water on his keyboard and had to buy a new one.

collocation: spill [liquid] on a keyboard

The keyboard on Mira's new laptop has a row of number keys at the top.

keyboard + on [device]

同義詞
  • keypad

    a smaller set of keys, like the number pad on a phone or calculator, not a full typing board.

文法句型

[countable] keyboard + verb (is/has)

用法筆記

Often used with prepositions like 'on' (something is on the keyboard) and 'at' (someone is sitting at the keyboard).

常見錯誤

I need to clean my key.
I need to clean my keyboard.
💡a key is one single button; the keyboard is the whole board that holds all the keys.
He bought a new key for his computer.
He bought a new keyboard for his computer.
💡unless you mean one single button, use 'keyboard' for the whole device.

2. on a piano, organ, or similar instrument, the long row of light and dark buttons

2.名詞A2
釋義

on a piano, organ, or similar instrument, the long row of light and dark buttons that you press one by one with your fingers to play notes of different pitch

例句

Sofia ran her fingers across the piano keyboard from the lowest note to the highest.

piano keyboard — instrument-specific collocation

The black keys on the keyboard are arranged in groups of two and three.

black keys — colour-name collocation

同義詞
  • keys

    the individual buttons on a keyboard; 'keys' can be used as a shorter alternative when the instrument is clear from context.

  • manual

    a technical term for a keyboard played with the hands, especially on an organ.

文法句型

[countable] the/this keyboard + verb

用法筆記

When talking about a piano, 'keyboard' refers to the whole set of keys. The individual parts of a keyboard are called 'keys' (short for 'piano keys').

常見錯誤

She pressed a piano keyboard.
She pressed a piano key.
💡the keyboard is the entire row; each individual piece you press is a key.

3. a musical device powered by electricity, with a set of keys similar to a small p

3.名詞A2
釋義

a musical device powered by electricity, with a set of keys similar to a small piano, able to copy the sounds of many different instruments and play in different musical styles

例句

Kwame's band uses a keyboard to fill in the sound of strings and horns.

uses a keyboard — collocation for instrument

Élise carried her light keyboard to the park for an outdoor performance.

同義詞
  • synthesizer

    a type of electronic keyboard that creates sounds by generating and combining electronic signals, often used in studios.

  • electric piano

    an electronic keyboard designed to sound like a traditional piano, without the wide range of other instrument sounds.

文法句型

[countable] play + the keyboard; [countable] keyboard + verb (sounds/like)

用法筆記

An electronic keyboard is not the same as a piano — it is lighter, can produce many different sounds, and often has built-in rhythms and demo songs.

常見錯誤

She plays the piano in a pop band.' (when using an electronic keyboard).
She plays the keyboard in a pop band.
💡an electronic keyboard is a different instrument from a piano.

keyboard — verb