keyhole

[ kee-hohl ]

noun

1. a hole for inserting a key in a lock, especially one in the shape of a circle with a rectangle having a width smaller than the diameter of the circle projecting from the bottom.
2. Also called key. Basketball. the area at each end of the court that is bounded by two lines extending from the end line parallel to and equidistant from the sidelines and terminating in a circle around the foul line.

adjective

1. extremely private or intimate, especially with reference to information gained as if by peeping through a keyhole.
2. snooping and intrusive:

   a keyhole investigator.

keyhole

/ ˈkiːˌhəʊl /

noun

1. an aperture in a door or a lock case through which a key may be passed to engage the lock mechanism
2. any small aperture resembling a keyhole in shape or function
3. a transient column of vapour or plasma formed during the welding or cutting of materials, using high energy beams, such as lasers

Word History and Origins

Origin of keyhole¹

First recorded in 1585–95; key ¹ + hole

Example Sentences

But keyhole surgery found no sign of it, sparking a "vicious cycle" of surgery and Prostap.

From BBC

Or through a mesh screen and a keyhole.

From Seattle Times

He continues that adding new projects, like “Lucky Ones,” to the compendium of Holocaust-related materials keeps the conversation going so people don’t necessarily come into a production like “Cabaret” without “that keyhole to peer through.”

From Los Angeles Times

Then I go stick one in the keyhole on the top lock, but my shaky hands cause the thin metal to snap.

From Literature

Her small studies — preparatory exercises for the large-scale works that follow — are tightly organized, keyhole views onto the grandeur of the city; most are on Masonite boards around 16 or 20 inches tall.

From New York Times

Related Words

• break
• crack
• crater
• cut
• dent
• gap
• mouth
• pit
• pocket
• tunnel
• void
• window