keyhole

IPA/ˈkiːhəʊl/
KK[kˈihˌol]IPA/ˈkiːhəʊl/

keyhole — noun

  • keyholesingular
  • keyholesplural

1. a small opening in the front of a lock, shaped to fit a key, that allows the key

1.nounB1
Definition

a small opening in the front of a lock, shaped to fit a key, that allows the key to turn and open or close the lock

Example

Antonia crouched down and peered through the keyhole to see who was there.

A large brass keyhole on the old wooden door glinted in the moonlight.

adjective + keyhole: large brass keyhole

Common collocations
  • through the keyhole
  • peer through the keyhole
  • brass keyhole
  • turn the key in the keyhole
Synonyms
  • key slot

    more technical than 'keyhole'; often used for modern electronic or flat-key locks

  • keyway

    specialist locksmith term for the internal channel that guides the key; not common in everyday speech

Usage Note

The compound noun 'keyhole surgery' refers to a type of minimally invasive surgery performed through very small incisions. This medical use is common even though 'keyhole' by itself does not carry that meaning.

Common Mistakes

I lost my keyhole and cannot open the door.
I lost my key and cannot open the door.
'keyhole' is the opening, not the metal object you insert.
She looked through the key of the door.
She looked through the keyhole of the door.
'key' is the tool that goes into the keyhole, not the opening itself.

2. the painted rectangular area on a basketball court directly in front of the bask

2.nounB2
Definition

the painted rectangular area on a basketball court directly in front of the basket, within which players take free throws and certain positioning rules apply

Example

Rachid drove toward the basket and was fouled inside the keyhole.

preposition: inside the keyhole

The referee ordered the players to leave the keyhole for the free throw.

Common collocations
  • inside the keyhole
  • at the edge of the keyhole
  • crash the keyhole
  • leave the keyhole
Synonyms
  • free-throw lane

    the official basketball term for the same area

  • the paint

    informal basketball slang, referring to the painted colour of the lane

  • the key

    shortened form of 'keyhole' commonly used in basketball commentary

Usage Note

Also called 'the key' or 'the paint' in informal basketball language. The term 'keyhole' comes from the original key-like shape of the free-throw lane before it was standardized as a rectangle in the 1950s. This sense is primarily American English.

Common Mistakes

He shot the ball from outside the key.
He shot the ball from outside the keyhole.
While 'key' is an accepted shortened form among basketball fans, 'keyhole' is clearer for learners.
The referee stood on the keyhole.
The referee stood outside the keyhole.
The keyhole is a painted area on the floor; referees do not stand inside it during play.

keyhole — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Keyhole (the lock opening) has few exact synonyms, but related terms differ in technicality. 'Key slot' is the closest alternative, but it is used more often for modern flat-key or electronic locks — for example, a hotel key card slot rather than a traditional door lock. 'Keyway' is a specialist locksmith term for the internal channel that guides the key's blade; everyday speakers almost never use it. 'Lock opening' is merely descriptive phrasing, not a standard noun. In ordinary English, 'keyhole' is the only common word for the visible hole in a door lock where you insert a metal key. You say 'She peeped through the keyhole,' not 'through the keyway' or 'through the lock opening.'

key slotkeyway ↗lock opening

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • keyhole surgery

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from 'key' (Old English cæg, a tool for opening locks) and 'hole' (Old English hol, an opening in a solid surface). The compound has been in use since the 1500s. The basketball sense dates from the early 1900s, named after the key-like shape of the free-throw lane before it was widened to a rectangle. The adjective senses developed from the image of peeping through a keyhole to observe private matters, a metaphor that appeared in the late 1800s.