This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
skeleton key
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a key with nearly the whole substance of the bit filed away so that it may open various locks.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."
Question 1 of 7
IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
Also called passkey.
Origin of skeleton key
First recorded in 1800–10
Words nearby skeleton key
skeletal traction, skeleton, skeleton car, skeleton in the closet, skeletonize, skeleton key, skelf, skelic index, skell, skellum, skelly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use skeleton key in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for skeleton key
skeleton key
noun
a key with the serrated edge filed down so that it can open numerous locksAlso called: passkey
Word Origin for skeleton key
C19: so called because it has been reduced to its essential parts
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