key
gb/kˈi/ us/kˈi/
A1
英语
~ 1500
义项
0 个义项
名词
A1
entity
1
Device for opening or locking
A small object used to open or lock something like a door or car.
用法模式：
a key to [something]
常见错误：
Learners sometimes confuse 'key' (the object) with 'key' meaning 'important'. Context usually makes the meaning clear.
近义词
passkey (A master key that can open multiple locks)
反义词
lock (The mechanism that prevents opening without a key)
搭配
house key
|car key
|door key
|spare key
|key ring
主题
daily life
|home
|security
|daily_life
|housing
|transportation
例句
- I can't find my house key anywhere.
- She handed the car key to her son.
- The janitor carries a large ring of keys.
- He left the spare key under the doormat.
- This key won’t fit the lock.
学习者例句
- I have a key for my room.
- This is the key to the door.
- Please give me the car key.
- I lost my house key.
- He has many keys on his ring.
名词
A2
entity
2
Important factor for success
The most important thing needed to do or get something.
用法模式：
the key to [something]
常见错误：
Learners may forget to use 'the' before 'key' in this sense, e.g., saying 'Key to success' instead of 'The key to success'.
近义词
crucial element (Stresses its vital importance)
反义词
minor detail (Something not important to the outcome)
搭配
key factor
|key role
|key point
|key to success
|key element
主题
success
|business
|problem-solving
|core_vocabulary
|education
例句
- Hard work is the key to success.
- Communication is the key to a good relationship.
- Understanding the problem is the key to solving it.
- Planning ahead is the key to avoiding mistakes.
- Trust is the key to teamwork.
学习者例句
- Good health is the key to happiness.
- Practice is the key to learning English.
- Water is the key to life.
- Sleep is the key to feeling good.
- Friends are the key to joy.
名词
technical
B1
entity
3
Musical scale base note
In music, the main group of notes used in a song, starting from one note.
常见错误：
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'keyboard keys'. Clarify it's about pitch and scale in music.
近义词
tonality (More formal term used in music theory)
反义词
atonality (Music without a fixed key)
搭配
in the key of C
|major key
|minor key
主题
music
|arts_entertainment
例句
- The song is in the key of G.
- She played the piece in a minor key.
- He changed the song’s key to match his voice.
- The composition shifts from one key to another.
- This melody sounds better in a higher key.
学习者例句
- This song is in the key of C.
- She can play in any key.
- The music changes key here.
- I like songs in a major key.
名词
A2
entity
4
Button on keyboard or instrument
A button you press on a computer or piano to make letters, numbers, or sounds.
近义词
button (General term; less specific than 'key' for devices)
搭配
press a key
|function keys
|piano keys
主题
technology
|music
|arts_entertainment
例句
- Press the enter key to continue.
- Some keys on my keyboard are stuck.
- The piano has 88 keys.
- She hit the wrong key and deleted her work.
- Function keys are at the top of your keyboard.
学习者例句
- Press this key to start.
- The piano has many keys.
- I like to press the keys on my laptop.
- This key makes a sound.
名词
B1
entity
5
Explanatory list for symbols on map/chart
A list that tells what symbols or colors mean on a map or chart.
近义词
legend ('Legend' is often used interchangeably in cartography)
搭配
map key
|chart key
主题
geography
|education
|travel
|communication
例句
- Refer to the map’s key to understand the symbols.
- The chart’s key explains each color code.
- Without the key, it’s hard to read this diagram.
学习者例句
- Look at the map’s key for help.
- The colors are shown in the chart’s key.
- I can read this map with the help of its key.
语法
相关表达
key in
1/kˈi ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
Enter data using keyboard keys
To put information into a computer by pressing its keys.
例句
- Please key in your password to log in.
- She keyed in all the customer details before lunch.
key point
1/kˈi pˈɔɪnt/
fixed phrase
Most important idea in discussion/text
The most important thing someone says or writes about a topic.
例句
- One key point from his speech was about climate change.
- Let me summarize the key points of the report.
key to success
1/kˈi tə səksˈɛs/
fixed phrase
Most important factor for success
The most important thing needed to be successful.
例句
- Hard work is often called the key to success.
- Many believe education is the key to success.
key player
1/kˈi plˈeɪɚ/
fixed phrase
Person with major role in activity/organization
An important person in a team or group who helps it succeed.
例句
- He was a key player in the negotiations.
- She is a key player in our marketing team.
- Several key players were absent from the meeting.
- He was one of the key players in winning the championship.
under lock and key
1/ˈʌndɚ lˈɑk ˈænd kˈi/
idiom
Kept securely locked away
Kept somewhere safe and locked so no one can get it easily.
例句
- The jewels are kept under lock and key at all times.
- The jewels are kept under lock and key.
- Sensitive documents should be under lock and key.
- Important documents are stored under lock and key.