keys
keys — adjective
1. so important that it strongly affects what happens next or whether something suc
so important that it strongly affects what happens next or whether something succeeds.
Regular practice is key to improving your speaking confidence.
be key to + gerund
Mina played a key role in planning the school festival.
key role
Clean water is key for farms during the long dry months.
A clear map was key to finding the mountain path before dark.
文法句型
key + noun
be key to + noun/gerund
be key for + noun
用法筆記
Usually appears before a noun or in patterns like 'be key to/for'. The base form 'key' is standard even though this entry is listed under the plural headword.
常見錯誤
keys — noun
1. metal objects cut to fit locks, or devices used to open or start something.
metal objects cut to fit locks, or devices used to open or start something.
Rafael grabbed his keys before the apartment door locked behind him.
grab your keys before leaving
The twins hung their house keys beside the kitchen calendar.
house keys
I keep my car keys in the bowl near the window.
Nellie lent me her spare keys while she was abroad.
文法句型
house keys
car keys
spare keys
用法筆記
The plural often refers to the set you carry every day. Use the singular 'key' when you mean one specific item.
常見錯誤
2. the parts you press on a keyboard, piano, or other instrument to make a mark, no
the parts you press on a keyboard, piano, or other instrument to make a mark, note, or sound.
Grease on the laptop keys made the password hard to type.
laptop keys
The child pressed the piano keys with both hands and laughed.
piano keys
Several clarinet keys stuck after the band marched in the rain.
Please wipe the dirty keys before you use the shared keyboard.
文法句型
keyboard keys
piano keys
press the keys
用法筆記
Use this sense for the movable parts you press on a device or instrument. A single one is 'a key'.
3. different sets of notes that music is built around, each centred on a main note.
different sets of notes that music is built around, each centred on a main note.
The song changes keys halfway through the chorus.
change keys
Beginner singers often practise scales in easy keys first.
in easy keys
The conductor asked the band to try the tune in lower keys.
These old folk songs sound warmer in minor keys.
- scales
the ordered notes themselves, not the tonal centre they create
- tonalities
more formal music language than everyday 'keys'
文法句型
in different keys
change keys
minor keys
用法筆記
Often follows 'in' when you name the key of a song. Distinguish this sense from noun/2, which is about physical parts on an instrument.
4. lists that explain what the signs, colours, or short forms in a map, chart, or b
lists that explain what the signs, colours, or short forms in a map, chart, or book mean.
The science book prints colour keys beside each diagram.
colour keys
Without the map keys, we could not tell a road from a river.
map keys
The museum guide added simple keys for the symbols on each floor plan.
Check the chart keys before you compare the warning signs.
文法句型
map keys
chart keys
keys for symbols
用法筆記
This sense is common with maps, charts, floor plans, and textbooks. It names the explanation list, not the symbols themselves.
5. lists that show the correct answers for exercises, quizzes, or tests.
lists that show the correct answers for exercises, quizzes, or tests.
The teacher handed out the answer keys after the quiz ended.
answer keys
Please keep the answer keys in the locked drawer.
keep the answer keys
Online practice tests often email answer keys the next day.
Hamza used last year's answer keys to review his mistakes.
- solutions
often used for maths or problem sets rather than short quizzes
- mark schemes
more specific to exams and scoring guidelines
文法句型
answer keys
release the keys
keys for a quiz
用法筆記
Usually appears in teaching or exam contexts. The phrase 'answer key' is much more common than a bare singular 'key' here.
6. small flat islands, often made of sand or coral, in warm seas.
small flat islands, often made of sand or coral, in warm seas.
Their boat moved slowly between the coral keys at sunset.
between the coral keys
Sea birds nest on the low keys during the dry season.
low keys
The guide warned us not to step on the fragile sand keys.
From the plane, the keys looked like green dots in blue water.
文法句型
coral keys
sand keys
between the keys
用法筆記
This is a geographical sense, especially for tropical island chains. Distinguish it from noun/1, which is about objects used to open locks.
7. the painted areas beside the baskets where play is restricted during some basket
the painted areas beside the baskets where play is restricted during some basketball actions.
Fresh paint made the keys easy to see on the old court.
the keys on the court
The referee checked that players stood outside the keys for free throws.
outside the keys
During practice, the coach placed cones along the keys to teach spacing.
Both teams crowded the keys whenever Mei drove toward the basket.
文法句型
the keys
outside the keys
along the keys
用法筆記
Mainly used in basketball talk. The singular 'the key' is also common when speakers mean one lane at one end of the court.
8. the things that matter most when you want to succeed, solve something, or unders
the things that matter most when you want to succeed, solve something, or understand it.
Patience and sleep are keys to helping young children learn.
keys to + gerund
For many small shops, loyal customers are the keys to survival.
keys to survival
Clear records are keys to finding mistakes in the budget.
These three questions are keys to understanding the poem's ending.
- secrets
more informal and often suggests special inside knowledge
- essentials
stresses necessary parts rather than a route to success
- factors
more neutral and less emphatic than 'keys'
文法句型
keys to + noun/gerund
the keys to success
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'to' plus a noun or -ing form. Use the singular 'key' when one factor stands out more than the others.
常見錯誤
keys — verb
1. to scrape a car or other vehicle with a key as an act of vandalism.
to scrape a car or other vehicle with a key as an act of vandalism.
The angry tenant keys cars whenever someone blocks his garage.
key + cars
Someone keyed our van during the concert last night.
keyed our van
Police arrested a boy who keyed six taxis outside the station.
Rita cried when she saw that a stranger had keyed her car.
- repair
undoes damage instead of causing it
文法句型
key + car/van/taxi
be keyed
用法筆記
The object is almost always a vehicle with painted sides. The verb implies deliberate damage, not an accidental scratch.
常見錯誤
2. to shape or adjust something so it matches a need, system, or situation.
to shape or adjust something so it matches a need, system, or situation.
The coach keys each drill to the players' age and strength.
key + object + to + people
Good teachers key new lessons to what the class already knows.
key lessons to prior knowledge
The designer keyed the colours to the hotel's old wooden floors.
This exercise book keys its reading tasks to real travel situations.
- misalign
leave things out of agreement
文法句型
key + object + to + need/plan
key lessons to + level
用法筆記
This sense is formal and usually takes the pattern 'key something to something'. The object is the plan or material being adjusted.