keyway
/ˈkiˌweɪ/noun
keyway is a noun meaning “A slot into which a precision attachment (a key) is fitted” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is spelled K-E-Y-W-A-Y and has 2 syllables, and it appears about once in every 17 million words in written English (wordfreq, 2021 data). The plural of keyway is keyways.
What does keyway mean?
noun
- 1
A slot into which a precision attachment (a key) is fitted.
- 2
The whole deep way the key has to go, the hollow or cavity.
- 3
A guide groove.
- 4
The recessed part of a keyed joint, in which the key resides.
Near-synonyms: keyseat, groove
- 5
The groove within a modern lock that the key slides into; any lock's keyhole.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you pronounce keyway?
- US /ˈkiˌweɪ/
Keyway has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of keyway
- keyways plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How common is keyway?
Keyway appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 125,655th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Keyway in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does keyway come from?
From key + way.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).