Synonyms

skeleton key

American

noun

a key with nearly the whole substance of the bit filed away so that it may open various locks.

skeleton key British

noun

Also called: passkey. a key with the serrated edge filed down so that it can open numerous locks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of skeleton key

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

skeleton key

“Microsoft should not have had a single skeleton key that, when inevitably stolen, could be used to forge access to different customers’ private communications.”

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2023

Those looking for a felt skeleton key to unlock his various idiosyncrasies aren’t likely to find one.

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2023

Their relationship, according to “The Last of Us” co-creator and executive producer Craig Mazin, is “ultimately … the skeleton key to unlock all of this show.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2023

The virus uses its spike protein like a skeleton key to ease open cells.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 7, 2021

Only a professional, using a specialized "skeleton key," could have turned that lock, Gordievsky thought.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023