prevent from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles"
keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project"
put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land"
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
a lever that actuates a mechanism when depressed
pitch of the voice; "he spoke in a low key"
something crucial for explaining; "the key to development is economic integration"
a generic term for any device whose possession entitles the holder to a means of access; "a safe-deposit box usually requires two keys to open it"
a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations
a list of answers to a test; "some students had stolen the key to the final exam"
any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
(basketball) a space (including the foul line) in front of the basket at each end of a basketball court; usually painted a different color from the rest of the court; "he hit a jump shot from the top of the key"; "he dominates play in the paint"
a coral reef off the southern coast of Florida
United States lawyer and poet who wrote a poem after witnessing the British attack on Baltimore during the War of 1812; the poem was later set to music and entitled `The Star-Spangled Banner' (1779-1843)
a kilogram of a narcotic drug; "they were carrying two keys of heroin"
harmonize with or adjust to; "key one's actions to the voters' prevailing attitude"
regulate the musical pitch of
vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key; "His new Mercedes was keyed last night in the parking lot"
provide with a key; "We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building"
(biology) the field of science concerned with processes of communication and control (especially the comparison of these processes in biological and artificial systems)
not tractable; difficult to manage or mold; "an intractable disposition"; "intractable pain"; "the most intractable issue of our era"; "intractable metal"
the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their esthetic effect
an architectural product or work
the discipline dealing with the principles of design and construction and ornamentation of fine buildings; "architecture and eloquence are mixed arts whose end is sometimes beauty and sometimes use"
a methodical examination or review of a condition or situation; "he made an audit of all the plants on his property"; "an energy efficiency audit"; "an email log audit"
attend academic courses without getting credit
examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification; "audit accounts and tax returns"