keyholen.

Brit.

/ˈkiːhəʊl/, U.S.

/ˈkiˌ(h)oʊl/

Forms: see key n.¹ and adj. and hole n.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: key n.¹, hole n.

Etymology: < key n.¹ + hole n.

a. A hole in a lock into which the key is inserted.Sometimes with allusion to the action of using a keyhole to eavesdrop or spy on activities behind a door.The shape of a keyhole is typically characterized as a circular hole with a trapezoidal or rectangular slit beneath it, although keyholes also have other forms, esp. that of a shaped slot. Cf. sense 3, keyhole-shaped adj. at Compounds 1b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > keyhole

keyhole1504

lock hole1592

keyway1835

1504 in J. W. Legg & W. H. St. J. Hope Inventories of Christchurch, Canterbury (1902) 135 Pro mutacione le wardis trium cerarum et pro duabus clavibus et tres le plates pro le key holys pro cistis prope reliquiis.

c1510 H. Watson tr. Gospelles of Dystaues sig. E.iii^v Take the fyrste knotte of a whete strawe..and put y^t in the keye hole of the coffre, and withouten faute it shal ones open.

1592 T. Nashe Pierce Penilesse (Brit. Libr. copy) sig. G4 ^v If I would raunge abroad, and looke in at sluggards key holes.

1635 R. Herrick Descr. King & Queen Fayries sig. A10^v When Mortals are at rest..Through key-holes we do glide.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 365/1 A Lock Saw..to make Key holes in Doors.

a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Hist. Own Time (1724) I. 553 He looked thro' the key hole, and there saw him lying dead.

1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) xi. 295 You will see them [sc. beggars] standing at a door and touting a Pater noster through the key-hole.

1833 N. Arnott Elements Physics (ed. 5) II. 222 A candle carried past a key-hole, throws its light on the opposite wall.

1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iii. i. 1 A burglarious stream of fog creeping in..through the keyhole.

1886 J. Ruskin Præterita II. ii. 52 An ominously Æolian keyhole in a vile inn.

1911 Pop. Mech. Oct. 577/1 The entrance..is shaped like a keyhole.

1953 K. M. Briggs Personnel of Fairyland i. 75 ‘Wheel that we spun on,’ cried the fairies through the keyhole. ‘Rise and let us in.’

1980 ‘L. Cody’ Dupe (1981) vi. 47 Do come in, hen, unless you want to stay outside with your ear to the keyhole.

2004 S. Hall Electric Michelangelo 21 He had never yet found the courage to peer through the keyhole.

b. slang. The female external genitals, the vulva; the vagina.Usually as a double entendre.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > sex organs > female sex organs > [noun] > vagina

quaintc1330

quivera1382

tailc1390

mousetrapc1500

cunnigar1550

placket1595

buttonhole1600

bumble broth1602

touch-hole1602

case1606

keyhole1607

vagina1612

nicka1625

nunquam satis1633

lock1640

twat1656

cockpit1658

Whitechapel portion?1695

tuzzy-muzzy1710

niche1749

can1772

bumbo1774

fuckhole1893

jelly roll1895

mole-catcher1896

manhole1916

vag1967

stank1980

pum-pum1983

punani1987

1607 T. Dekker & J. Webster West-ward Hoe v. i. sig. G4^v Puh, good maister Lynstocke, Ile not stand by whilst you giue Fire at your Key-holes?

?c1680 Sodom, or Quintessence of Debauchery (1966) v. i. 109 They're apt to utter their complaints before They come to find the key hole of the door.

1713 Full & True Acct. Dreadful Fire in Pope's Breeches 5 Let's try how Peter's Key will fit Thy Key-hole.

1816 Bible (Coyne) (Song of Sol. v. 4) 582/1 My beloved put his hand through the key-hole [L. per foramen], and my bowels were moved at his touch.

1896 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang IV. 95/1 Keyhole, the female pudendum.

1927 Jrnl. Abnormal & Social Psychol. 22 14 Another term for the female organs is cabbage... Other symbols are keyhole and bread. The former is found infrequently.

1960 L. Ferlinghetti Her 41 I had another skeleton key, lower down, which I could insert in her keyhole, to turn the love of her.

2008 D. Maurer Brocabulary iv. 94 Cocksmith, a ‘vagina miner’ who can put it in a girl's keyhole with the exacting skill of a locksmith.

2. A hole into which a peg, pin, bolt, etc., fits. Cf. key n.¹ 12a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > hole into which a peg, pin, knob, etc., fits

scaffold holec1568

pinhole1659

scaffolding hole1663

keyhole1703

keyway1835

winder-hole1840

knob hole1851

wall-box1875

1703 R. Neve City & Countrey Purchaser 33 Round-bolts..with a Head at one end, and a Key-hole at the other.

c1860 H. Stuart Novices or Young Seaman's Catech. (rev. ed.) 61 The lower keyholes should be clear, to allow the water to run out freely.

1920 Engin. & Mining Jrnl. 26 June 1400/2 The same holds true for the key-holes in a stope; a clean break is not usually secured if they fail to explode.

1991 Amer. Woodworker Oct. 57/2 (advt.) Mason and Sullivan will punch the correct key holes in the dial when you buy the dial with a movement.

†a. Canadian. In New Brunswick: a small lake, or a bay with a narrow entrance, connected or adjacent to Grand Lake. Obsolete except as a proper name for a particular lagoon.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > land mass > shore or bank > bend in coast > [noun] > bay or gulf > small

hopec1425

docka1552

cove1590

hole1639

baylet1826

keyhole1851

porth1860

covelet1876

gunk-hole1908

1839 A. Gesner Rep. on Geol. Surv. Province of New Brunswick I. 68 Between the Little Keyhole and Long Point, a distance of two miles, the red sandstone rests upon the dark red micaceous variety.]

1851 M. H. Perley Catal. Fishes New Brunswick & Nova Scotia 21 At the same time the writer caught a number of them, with rod and line, in one of those small pieces of water connected with the Grand Lake, usually called ‘key-holes’.

1896 Trans. Royal Soc. Canada 2 ii. 210 Keyhole, on Grand Lake for a round harbour or cove with narrow entrance.

b. Basketball. The area bounded by the free-throw lane and free-throw circle together; = key n.¹ 16.The (formerly narrow) free-throw lane topped by the free-throw circle originally resembled a keyhole or key in shape.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > characteristics of team ball games > [noun] > parts of playing area

outfield1851

goal line1862

centreline1863

goalside1865

territory1867

goalmouth1871

box1881

half1888

goal area1902

penalty area1905

orchard1913

penalty box1914

area1925

D1927

keyhole1936

penalty spot1937

six-yard box1954

1924 Boys' Life Dec. 19/2 The free throw lane..is marked in such a manner that the circle and lane together have the general appearance of a huge keyhole.]

1936 Boston Globe 14 Mar. 6/1 Gutantes tallied from the ‘keyhole’, to put Brockton in front.

1941 N.Y. Times 26 Mar. 30/1 As the code now stands the ‘keyhole’, as the foul lane and circle is known, is virtually forbidden territory.

1961 Holland (Mich.) Evening Sentinel 22 Mar. 14/2 Hatton..popped in the winning basket for the Flyers from the right side of the keyhole just before the buzzer.

2010 N. Edlin Widow's Daughter (2012) 51 The ball hit me flush on the forehead, and I was sent flying back four or five yards, out of the keyhole, onto my ass.

a. A small or narrow hole or opening, esp. one shaped like a keyhole.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > small opening

buttonhole1599

snip1600

pinhole1617

pink1667

to pass through the eye of a needle (also a needle's eye)1720

peepa1825

needle-hole1847

keyhole1900

1900 Collier's Weekly 7 July 10/3 Thirty tiny keyholes in that tremendous structure formed the entrances to the interior.

1924 Charleston (W. Va.) Gaz. 24 Aug. 3/4 A clam digger is not a mere laborer, but in a sense an artist, for ability to recognize the tiny ‘keyholes’ in the sand is a talent.

1983 J. R. Hale Renaissance War Stud. i. 17 The four tiers of small keyholes below the cordon in the flanks of most of them [sc. bastions] are suitable only for small-arms.

2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 30 May d5/4 We were to go through a narrow uphill opening, a ‘keyhole’ that would allow us to gauge whether we could handle tight spaces.

b. Astronautics. A small area of space through which a spacecraft, asteroid, etc., must pass in order to reach orbit, land on or hit a planet, etc. Cf. window n. 16a.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > air or space travel > space flight > [noun] > a space shot or flight > course or trajectory of spacecraft > narrow area to be passed through

keyhole1961

1961 Life 8 Dec. 50/2 To hit this keyhole in the sky requires tremendous accuracy in tracking.

1968 Daily Tel. 27 Dec. 1/2 It must hit a corridor only 35 miles wide. If it dips below this tiny ‘keyhole in space’, Apollo 8 and its crew will be burned up.

1992 B. Bova Mars (1993) 160 The two Mars craft had to be launched out of Earth orbit through that keyhole.

2010 R. Dymock Asteroids & Dwarf Planets vi. 68 Asteroid (99942) Apophis will pass close to Earth in 2029, and, if it passes through a keyhole just 610 m wide, it will receive a gravitational nudge that will put it on a collision course with our planet.

c. Surgery. A very small incision through which an endoscope or other instrument is passed in a minimally invasive procedure. See also Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > surgery > incision > [noun]

scissure?a1425

incision1474

section1559

incising1567

discission1684

keyhole1973

1973 Microvascular Res. 5 377 The terminal ileum..must be positioned at the caudal end of the keyhole and the bowel manipulated into the chamber.

1980 Washington Post (Nexis) 21 June a5 The girl's heart was stopped for 97 seconds Monday to provide surgeons with a clear ‘keyhole’ into her brain while they dissolved the aneurysm.

1996 Woman's Day (Sydney) 10 June 73/2 The entire procedure can be done through the keyhole before the uterus is removed by a special suction system.

2011 C.-W. D. Tzeng et al. in F. M. Dirbas & C. E. H. Scott-Conner Breast Surg. Techniques & Interdisciplinary Managem. xxxv. 417 If a lateral extension of the keyhole has to be made for better mastectomy exposure, this can be extended into the axilla.

5. A hole cut out of a garment as a decorative effect, esp. one forming part of a keyhole neckline. Originally and frequently attributive (see also keyhole neckline n. at Compounds 1b).

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > parts of clothing > [noun] > opening or slit

slita1250

sparea1400

ventc1430

keyhole1943

1943 N.Y. Times 9 June 18/4 Intricate details distinguished all the hats, whether they were pastel felts with keyhole cut-outs [etc.].

1957 Daily Defender (Chicago) 15 Apr. 13/5 Her bow-tie neckline fastens demurely but is engineered so the tabs fall away—..a keyhole cut out to catch a man's eye.

1996 Company Dec. 114/1 Peek-a-boo slashes, halter necks and clever keyholes reveal bite-size pieces of toned midriff, slender shoulders and naked backs.

2002 R. Rothstein et al. How to buy your Perfect Wedding Dress 62 The classic keyhole back..has a circular or oval cutout..which can be as small as a silver dollar or large enough to render a dress backless.

Compounds

C1.

a. General attributive, with reference or allusion to the action of eavesdropping or spying through a keyhole, or to the private or intimate information thereby obtained, as keyhole journalism, keyhole prospect, keyhole reporting, keyhole view, etc.

ΚΠ

1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick xvii. 92 The key-hole prospect was but a crooked and sinister one.

1862 N.Y. Tribune 25 Feb. Listening to key-hole revelations, and hugger-muggering with disappointed politicians.

1886 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 10 June 4/1 The editor of The New York Evening Post..very properly denounces such ‘keyhole journalism’.

1934 Monessen (Pa.) Daily Independent 6 Jan. 6/4 The picture..is a keyhole view of the real Hollywood.__

1965 Listener 22 July 119/1 I am not talking about what we politely call ‘keyhole reporting’.

1989 Economist 25 Mar. 140/1 A successful piece of keyhole-television..will explore a topic abrasively with a panel of guests.

2009 Toronto Star (Nexis) 26 Sept. t1 We descend one last staircase to view the arch itself. Rough and unpolished, it shines golden in the sun, offering a keyhole view of the aquamarine sea.

keyhole escutcheon n. a plate of metal surrounding a keyhole which prevents the surface of the door, drawer, etc., in which it is set from being scratched or otherwise damaged by the key.

ΚΠ

1829 Repertory Patent Inventions 7 127 James Deakin and Thomas Deakin..making from horns and hoofs of animals, various articles; namely bell pulls, door handles and knobs, key hole escutcheons or coverings, [etc.].

1941 Metrop. Mus. Art Bull. 36 132/2 It also possesses one of his rare signatures, the monogram D R inlaid beneath the key-hole escutcheon on the central drawer.

2004 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 10 Jan. 3 Although it lacks one of its keyhole escutcheons,..I am inordinately fond of my chest of drawers.

keyhole guard n. a metal plate which covers a keyhole, or a bolt which is inserted into it, so as to block the view through the hole, prevent tampering with the lock, stop draughts, etc.

ΚΠ

1859 Jrnl. Franklin Inst. Oct. 229 Preventing the displacement of the tumbler in the direction of unlocking by means of pins, in combination with the sliding bottom key-hole guard and the tenons.

1889 Sci. Amer. 61 195 Bennett's improved key-hole guard..preventing any view through the keyhole.

1994 Christian Sci. Monitor (Boston) (Nexis) 19 May 10 Horse stalls have polished brass keyhole guards and brick floors in a herringbone pattern.

keyhole limpet n. any of various marine gastropod molluscs constituting the family Fissurellidae and the superfamily Fissurelloidea, which resemble true limpets but have an elongated aperture at or near the apex of the shell; also called slit limpet.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > class Gastropoda > [noun] > superorder Branchifera > order Prosobranchiata > section Holostomata > limpet > member of family Fissurellidae

keyhole limpet1820

slit-limpet1901

1820 C. Wodarch Introd. Study Conchol. 105 There are some few species which are perforated in the region where the beak is usually situated, these are commonly called Key-hole Limpets.

1885 Standard Nat. Hist. I. 320 The Fissurellidæ, or key-hole limpets, are structurally closely allied to the..Haliotidæ.

1958 J. E. Morton Molluscs iv. 68 In..the keyhole limpets, Fissurella, this closes to leave a small hole at the top of a volcano-shaped shell.

2011 L. E. Tway Tidepools (ed. 2) 21 Examples of keyhole limpets in Southern California's tidepools are the Giant Keyhole Limpet and the Volcano Limpet.

Keyhole Nebula n. Astronomy (the name of) a small nebula in the southern sky surrounding the variable star η Carinae, with a dark central region shaped like a keyhole.η Carinae was formerly called η Argus.

ΚΠ

1885 Eclectic Mag. Dec. 810/1 The star Eta Argûs..lies in the midst of that wonderful mass of luminous gas called the Keyhole Nebula.

1922 I. M. Lewis Astron. Young Folks xiv. 98 In Argo Navis is one of the finest telescopic objects in the heavens, the Keyhole Nebula.

2010 C. Stott et al. Space 217 This nebula is home to smaller nebulae, such as the Keyhole Nebula.

keyhole neckline n. a neckline with a circle, oval, or slit cut into or near the front or back, giving a shape resembling a keyhole; cf. sense 5.

ΚΠ

1944 N.Y. Times Mag. 18 June 30 (caption) Janet's dress is black crepe which boasts of a keyhole neckline.

1963 Honey Oct. 64/3 Girly dress with a Puritan collar and keyhole neckline.

2012 Mirror (Nexis) 19 Jan. 39 A slinky black lace dress with sheer sleeves and a keyhole neckline.

keyhole-protector n. now rare = keyhole guard n.

ΚΠ

1849 Sci. Amer. 26 May 294/1 To E. Kershaw of Boston, Mass, for improved Key Hole Protector Patented May 22, 1849.

1888 Cassell's Family Mag. 8 685/1 Stamped letters stuck under the keyhole-protector of doors.

1916 Amer. Artisan & Hardware Rec. 29 Apr. 45/1 Keyhole-Protector. Warren O. Fusselman, Seattle, Wash. Filed March 15, 1915.

keyhole saw n. a saw with a long narrow blade for cutting small holes such as keyholes.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > cutting tool > saw > [noun] > other saws

handsaw1399

rug-saw1582

frame saw1633

nocksaw1659

bow-saw1678

lock saw1688

stadda1688

wire saw1688

panel saw1754

keyhole saw1761

web saw1799

table saw1832

rack saw1846

scroll-saw1851

fretsaw1865

back saw1874

foxtail-saw1874

tub-saw1874

gullet-saw1875

Swede saw1934

1761 in G. Washington Papers (1990) Colonial Ser. VII. 94 Joiners Tools..one Sash Saw, one Compass Saw, one Key Hole Saw.

1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art I. 107 A small kind of compass-saw, called a key-hole saw, is used for quick curves, such as key-holes.

2004 A. Sileika Woman in Bronze 114 He worked first on the long fascia boards,..creating tulip-leaf cut-outs with a small keyhole saw.

keyhole-shaped adj. having the shape of a keyhole.See note at sense 1a.

ΚΠ

1840 Lancet 4 July 515/2 An alveolar cavity slightly keyhole-shaped.

1911 F. J. Britten Old Clocks & Watches (ed. 3) v. 266 The light would also shine through a keyhole-shaped aperture.

2002 J. Weyland Answer is Never x. 139 The park..had a huge keyhole-shaped pool.

keyhole slit n. a small slit resembling a keyhole.

ΚΠ

1855 H. H. Bigg On Artific. Limbs ii. iii. 65 The only time the two surfaces can part is when the projection on the plug A. and the key-hole slit of the aperture B. become coincident.

1881 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 65 A man standing on his head to keep him quiet, and another cutting a ‘keyhole’ slit in his ear.

2009 C. Fischer Routine Miracles xi. 132 A physician of intensely high skill who can operate through a keyhole slit a few millimeters across.

keyhole urchin n. any of various sand dollars having one or more elongated perforations in the test and belonging to the family Mellitidae or related families; esp. one of the genus Mellita of the Atlantic coasts of America.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > phylum Echinodermata > [noun] > subphylum Eleutherozoa > class Echinoidea > order Clypeastroidea > member of > member of genus Mellita

keyhole urchin1868

1868 A.A. Tenney Pictures & Stories Animals 41 The name of this curious sea-urchin is Mellita..also sometimes called the Key-hole Urchin.

1904 H. L. Clark in Bull. U.S. Fish. Comm. 1902 XXXII. 565 Mellita pentapora (Gmelin). Key-hole Urchin.

2008 D. Brown Fly Fishing Bonefish 62/1 The Five-Holed Keyhole Urchin..lives just beneath the surface, creating a thin mound over its body.

keyhole whistler n. slang †(a) British a person who sleeps in a barn or outhouse; a tramp, a vagrant (obsolete); (b) U.S. a criminal in hiding (rare).

ΚΠ

?1830 Wedding Paddy O'Carroll in M. G. Lewis Crazy Jane 7 Fifty set of sparrible weavers, gunsmiths, blacksmiths and nailors, Bogtrotters and street pavers, bobbin-tossers, Millers' doctors, key-hole whistlers and tithe proctors.

1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 311/1 ‘Keyhole whistlers’, the skipper-birds are sometimes called... They start early to good houses for victuals, when gentlefolk are not up.

1890 F. W. Carew No. 747 413 A rough lot they were..reg'lar keyhole whistlers the lot of 'em, skipperin' it for choice when they'd got the price of a doss about 'em.

1935 A. J. Pollock Underworld Speaks 66/2 Keyhole whistler, a criminal in hiding.

C2. Surgery.

a. attributive, with the sense ‘designating or relating to a very small incision’, as keyhole incision, keyhole technique, etc. Cf. sense 4c.

ΚΠ

1921 Lancet 12 Feb. 314/1 The attempt to remove the appendix through a keyhole incision is not to be recommended.

1960 Pract. Dental Monogr. Sept. 11 Access to the surgical site is through a keyhole mucosal incision.

1961 Lancet 22 July 192/1 Separation of the [umbilical] cord was delayed... Accordingly they recommend a keyhole dressing with sterile cord powder.

1996 M. G. Yaşargil Microneurosurgery CNS Tumors xviii. 304/1 The midline tumors are all well accessible using the ‘keyhole’ technique of microsurgery.

2000 Brit. Med. Jrnl. (Electronic ed.) 20 May Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is being promoted with similar enthusiasm to that given to earlier keyhole techniques such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

keyhole surgery n. (a) hyperbolical and humorous the practice of making an incision too small for adequate visualization or access (now rare); (b) surgery in which an endoscope or other instrument is passed through a very small incision in a minimally invasive procedure.

ΚΠ

1952 ‘R. Gordon’ Doctor in House vii. 80 I drew a modest line over the lesion. ‘Keyhole surgery!’ said Sir Lancelot with contempt.

1958 Brit. Jrnl. Tuberculosis 52 287 The percentage of positive results depends on the extent and thoroughness of the exploration, especially in the absence of palpable lymph nodes, ‘keyhole surgery’ must be condemned.

1979 H. Selipsky in J. F. Prichard Diagnosis & Treatm. Periodontal Dis. xvii. 309 ‘Keyhole’ surgery is generally poor surgical technique; an incision 5 cm. long will heal as quickly as a similarly made 4-cm. incision.

1981 Clin. Orthopaedics No. 156. 258/2 Currently, people are viewing Band-aid dressings on TV talk shows, and the public is inquiring about ‘keyhole’ surgery.

2000 Daily Tel. 8 Nov. 21/3 I am on a variety of acid suppressants and have had keyhole surgery on the oesophagus.

2006 Mother & Baby Aug. 112/3 Most procedures involved keyhole surgery, where a tiny incision is made in the uterus and a small camera..is inserted.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2012; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	keyhole
释义	keyholen. Brit. /ˈkiːhəʊl/, U.S. /ˈkiˌ(h)oʊl/ Forms: see key n.¹ and adj. and hole n. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: key n.¹, hole n. Etymology: < key n.¹ + hole n. 1. a. A hole in a lock into which the key is inserted.Sometimes with allusion to the action of using a keyhole to eavesdrop or spy on activities behind a door.The shape of a keyhole is typically characterized as a circular hole with a trapezoidal or rectangular slit beneath it, although keyholes also have other forms, esp. that of a shaped slot. Cf. sense 3, keyhole-shaped adj. at Compounds 1b. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > keyhole keyhole1504 lock hole1592 keyway1835 1504 in J. W. Legg & W. H. St. J. Hope Inventories of Christchurch, Canterbury (1902) 135 Pro mutacione le wardis trium cerarum et pro duabus clavibus et tres le plates pro le key holys pro cistis prope reliquiis. c1510 H. Watson tr. Gospelles of Dystaues sig. E.iii^v Take the fyrste knotte of a whete strawe..and put y^t in the keye hole of the coffre, and withouten faute it shal ones open. 1592 T. Nashe Pierce Penilesse (Brit. Libr. copy) sig. G4 ^v If I would raunge abroad, and looke in at sluggards key holes. 1635 R. Herrick Descr. King & Queen Fayries sig. A10^v When Mortals are at rest..Through key-holes we do glide. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 365/1 A Lock Saw..to make Key holes in Doors. a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Hist. Own Time (1724) I. 553 He looked thro' the key hole, and there saw him lying dead. 1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) xi. 295 You will see them [sc. beggars] standing at a door and touting a Pater noster through the key-hole. 1833 N. Arnott Elements Physics (ed. 5) II. 222 A candle carried past a key-hole, throws its light on the opposite wall. 1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iii. i. 1 A burglarious stream of fog creeping in..through the keyhole. 1886 J. Ruskin Præterita II. ii. 52 An ominously Æolian keyhole in a vile inn. 1911 Pop. Mech. Oct. 577/1 The entrance..is shaped like a keyhole. 1953 K. M. Briggs Personnel of Fairyland i. 75 ‘Wheel that we spun on,’ cried the fairies through the keyhole. ‘Rise and let us in.’ 1980 ‘L. Cody’ Dupe (1981) vi. 47 Do come in, hen, unless you want to stay outside with your ear to the keyhole. 2004 S. Hall Electric Michelangelo 21 He had never yet found the courage to peer through the keyhole. b. slang. The female external genitals, the vulva; the vagina.Usually as a double entendre. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > sex organs > female sex organs > [noun] > vagina quaintc1330 quivera1382 tailc1390 mousetrapc1500 cunnigar1550 placket1595 buttonhole1600 bumble broth1602 touch-hole1602 case1606 keyhole1607 vagina1612 nicka1625 nunquam satis1633 lock1640 twat1656 cockpit1658 Whitechapel portion?1695 tuzzy-muzzy1710 niche1749 can1772 bumbo1774 fuckhole1893 jelly roll1895 mole-catcher1896 manhole1916 vag1967 stank1980 pum-pum1983 punani1987 1607 T. Dekker & J. Webster West-ward Hoe v. i. sig. G4^v Puh, good maister Lynstocke, Ile not stand by whilst you giue Fire at your Key-holes? ?c1680 Sodom, or Quintessence of Debauchery (1966) v. i. 109 They're apt to utter their complaints before They come to find the key hole of the door. 1713 Full & True Acct. Dreadful Fire in Pope's Breeches 5 Let's try how Peter's Key will fit Thy Key-hole. 1816 Bible (Coyne) (Song of Sol. v. 4) 582/1 My beloved put his hand through the key-hole [L. per foramen], and my bowels were moved at his touch. 1896 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang IV. 95/1 Keyhole, the female pudendum. 1927 Jrnl. Abnormal & Social Psychol. 22 14 Another term for the female organs is cabbage... Other symbols are keyhole and bread. The former is found infrequently. 1960 L. Ferlinghetti Her 41 I had another skeleton key, lower down, which I could insert in her keyhole, to turn the love of her. 2008 D. Maurer Brocabulary iv. 94 Cocksmith, a ‘vagina miner’ who can put it in a girl's keyhole with the exacting skill of a locksmith. 2. A hole into which a peg, pin, bolt, etc., fits. Cf. key n.¹ 12a. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > hole into which a peg, pin, knob, etc., fits scaffold holec1568 pinhole1659 scaffolding hole1663 keyhole1703 keyway1835 winder-hole1840 knob hole1851 wall-box1875 1703 R. Neve City & Countrey Purchaser 33 Round-bolts..with a Head at one end, and a Key-hole at the other. c1860 H. Stuart Novices or Young Seaman's Catech. (rev. ed.) 61 The lower keyholes should be clear, to allow the water to run out freely. 1920 Engin. & Mining Jrnl. 26 June 1400/2 The same holds true for the key-holes in a stope; a clean break is not usually secured if they fail to explode. 1991 Amer. Woodworker Oct. 57/2 (advt.) Mason and Sullivan will punch the correct key holes in the dial when you buy the dial with a movement. 3. †a. Canadian. In New Brunswick: a small lake, or a bay with a narrow entrance, connected or adjacent to Grand Lake. Obsolete except as a proper name for a particular lagoon. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > land mass > shore or bank > bend in coast > [noun] > bay or gulf > small hopec1425 docka1552 cove1590 hole1639 baylet1826 keyhole1851 porth1860 covelet1876 gunk-hole1908 1839 A. Gesner Rep. on Geol. Surv. Province of New Brunswick I. 68 Between the Little Keyhole and Long Point, a distance of two miles, the red sandstone rests upon the dark red micaceous variety.] 1851 M. H. Perley Catal. Fishes New Brunswick & Nova Scotia 21 At the same time the writer caught a number of them, with rod and line, in one of those small pieces of water connected with the Grand Lake, usually called ‘key-holes’. 1896 Trans. Royal Soc. Canada 2 ii. 210 Keyhole, on Grand Lake for a round harbour or cove with narrow entrance. b. Basketball. The area bounded by the free-throw lane and free-throw circle together; = key n.¹ 16.The (formerly narrow) free-throw lane topped by the free-throw circle originally resembled a keyhole or key in shape. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > characteristics of team ball games > [noun] > parts of playing area outfield1851 goal line1862 centreline1863 goalside1865 territory1867 goalmouth1871 box1881 half1888 goal area1902 penalty area1905 orchard1913 penalty box1914 area1925 D1927 keyhole1936 penalty spot1937 six-yard box1954 1924 Boys' Life Dec. 19/2 The free throw lane..is marked in such a manner that the circle and lane together have the general appearance of a huge keyhole.] 1936 Boston Globe 14 Mar. 6/1 Gutantes tallied from the ‘keyhole’, to put Brockton in front. 1941 N.Y. Times 26 Mar. 30/1 As the code now stands the ‘keyhole’, as the foul lane and circle is known, is virtually forbidden territory. 1961 Holland (Mich.) Evening Sentinel 22 Mar. 14/2 Hatton..popped in the winning basket for the Flyers from the right side of the keyhole just before the buzzer. 2010 N. Edlin Widow's Daughter (2012) 51 The ball hit me flush on the forehead, and I was sent flying back four or five yards, out of the keyhole, onto my ass. 4. a. A small or narrow hole or opening, esp. one shaped like a keyhole. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > small opening buttonhole1599 snip1600 pinhole1617 pink1667 to pass through the eye of a needle (also a needle's eye)1720 peepa1825 needle-hole1847 keyhole1900 1900 Collier's Weekly 7 July 10/3 Thirty tiny keyholes in that tremendous structure formed the entrances to the interior. 1924 Charleston (W. Va.) Gaz. 24 Aug. 3/4 A clam digger is not a mere laborer, but in a sense an artist, for ability to recognize the tiny ‘keyholes’ in the sand is a talent. 1983 J. R. Hale Renaissance War Stud. i. 17 The four tiers of small keyholes below the cordon in the flanks of most of them [sc. bastions] are suitable only for small-arms. 2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 30 May d5/4 We were to go through a narrow uphill opening, a ‘keyhole’ that would allow us to gauge whether we could handle tight spaces. b. Astronautics. A small area of space through which a spacecraft, asteroid, etc., must pass in order to reach orbit, land on or hit a planet, etc. Cf. window n. 16a. ΘΚΠ society > travel > air or space travel > space flight > [noun] > a space shot or flight > course or trajectory of spacecraft > narrow area to be passed through keyhole1961 1961 Life 8 Dec. 50/2 To hit this keyhole in the sky requires tremendous accuracy in tracking. 1968 Daily Tel. 27 Dec. 1/2 It must hit a corridor only 35 miles wide. If it dips below this tiny ‘keyhole in space’, Apollo 8 and its crew will be burned up. 1992 B. Bova Mars (1993) 160 The two Mars craft had to be launched out of Earth orbit through that keyhole. 2010 R. Dymock Asteroids & Dwarf Planets vi. 68 Asteroid (99942) Apophis will pass close to Earth in 2029, and, if it passes through a keyhole just 610 m wide, it will receive a gravitational nudge that will put it on a collision course with our planet. c. Surgery. A very small incision through which an endoscope or other instrument is passed in a minimally invasive procedure. See also Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > surgery > incision > [noun] scissure?a1425 incision1474 section1559 incising1567 discission1684 keyhole1973 1973 Microvascular Res. 5 377 The terminal ileum..must be positioned at the caudal end of the keyhole and the bowel manipulated into the chamber. 1980 Washington Post (Nexis) 21 June a5 The girl's heart was stopped for 97 seconds Monday to provide surgeons with a clear ‘keyhole’ into her brain while they dissolved the aneurysm. 1996 Woman's Day (Sydney) 10 June 73/2 The entire procedure can be done through the keyhole before the uterus is removed by a special suction system. 2011 C.-W. D. Tzeng et al. in F. M. Dirbas & C. E. H. Scott-Conner Breast Surg. Techniques & Interdisciplinary Managem. xxxv. 417 If a lateral extension of the keyhole has to be made for better mastectomy exposure, this can be extended into the axilla. 5. A hole cut out of a garment as a decorative effect, esp. one forming part of a keyhole neckline. Originally and frequently attributive (see also keyhole neckline n. at Compounds 1b). ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > parts of clothing > [noun] > opening or slit slita1250 sparea1400 ventc1430 keyhole1943 1943 N.Y. Times 9 June 18/4 Intricate details distinguished all the hats, whether they were pastel felts with keyhole cut-outs [etc.]. 1957 Daily Defender (Chicago) 15 Apr. 13/5 Her bow-tie neckline fastens demurely but is engineered so the tabs fall away—..a keyhole cut out to catch a man's eye. 1996 Company Dec. 114/1 Peek-a-boo slashes, halter necks and clever keyholes reveal bite-size pieces of toned midriff, slender shoulders and naked backs. 2002 R. Rothstein et al. How to buy your Perfect Wedding Dress 62 The classic keyhole back..has a circular or oval cutout..which can be as small as a silver dollar or large enough to render a dress backless. Compounds C1. a. General attributive, with reference or allusion to the action of eavesdropping or spying through a keyhole, or to the private or intimate information thereby obtained, as keyhole journalism, keyhole prospect, keyhole reporting, keyhole view, etc. ΚΠ 1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick xvii. 92 The key-hole prospect was but a crooked and sinister one. 1862 N.Y. Tribune 25 Feb. Listening to key-hole revelations, and hugger-muggering with disappointed politicians. 1886 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 10 June 4/1 The editor of The New York Evening Post..very properly denounces such ‘keyhole journalism’. 1934 Monessen (Pa.) Daily Independent 6 Jan. 6/4 The picture..is a keyhole view of the real Hollywood.__ 1965 Listener 22 July 119/1 I am not talking about what we politely call ‘keyhole reporting’. 1989 Economist 25 Mar. 140/1 A successful piece of keyhole-television..will explore a topic abrasively with a panel of guests. 2009 Toronto Star (Nexis) 26 Sept. t1 We descend one last staircase to view the arch itself. Rough and unpolished, it shines golden in the sun, offering a keyhole view of the aquamarine sea. b. keyhole escutcheon n. a plate of metal surrounding a keyhole which prevents the surface of the door, drawer, etc., in which it is set from being scratched or otherwise damaged by the key. ΚΠ 1829 Repertory Patent Inventions 7 127 James Deakin and Thomas Deakin..making from horns and hoofs of animals, various articles; namely bell pulls, door handles and knobs, key hole escutcheons or coverings, [etc.]. 1941 Metrop. Mus. Art Bull. 36 132/2 It also possesses one of his rare signatures, the monogram D R inlaid beneath the key-hole escutcheon on the central drawer. 2004 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 10 Jan. 3 Although it lacks one of its keyhole escutcheons,..I am inordinately fond of my chest of drawers. keyhole guard n. a metal plate which covers a keyhole, or a bolt which is inserted into it, so as to block the view through the hole, prevent tampering with the lock, stop draughts, etc. ΚΠ 1859 Jrnl. Franklin Inst. Oct. 229 Preventing the displacement of the tumbler in the direction of unlocking by means of pins, in combination with the sliding bottom key-hole guard and the tenons. 1889 Sci. Amer. 61 195 Bennett's improved key-hole guard..preventing any view through the keyhole. 1994 Christian Sci. Monitor (Boston) (Nexis) 19 May 10 Horse stalls have polished brass keyhole guards and brick floors in a herringbone pattern. keyhole limpet n. any of various marine gastropod molluscs constituting the family Fissurellidae and the superfamily Fissurelloidea, which resemble true limpets but have an elongated aperture at or near the apex of the shell; also called slit limpet. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > class Gastropoda > [noun] > superorder Branchifera > order Prosobranchiata > section Holostomata > limpet > member of family Fissurellidae keyhole limpet1820 slit-limpet1901 1820 C. Wodarch Introd. Study Conchol. 105 There are some few species which are perforated in the region where the beak is usually situated, these are commonly called Key-hole Limpets. 1885 Standard Nat. Hist. I. 320 The Fissurellidæ, or key-hole limpets, are structurally closely allied to the..Haliotidæ. 1958 J. E. Morton Molluscs iv. 68 In..the keyhole limpets, Fissurella, this closes to leave a small hole at the top of a volcano-shaped shell. 2011 L. E. Tway Tidepools (ed. 2) 21 Examples of keyhole limpets in Southern California's tidepools are the Giant Keyhole Limpet and the Volcano Limpet. Keyhole Nebula n. Astronomy (the name of) a small nebula in the southern sky surrounding the variable star η Carinae, with a dark central region shaped like a keyhole.η Carinae was formerly called η Argus. ΚΠ 1885 Eclectic Mag. Dec. 810/1 The star Eta Argûs..lies in the midst of that wonderful mass of luminous gas called the Keyhole Nebula. 1922 I. M. Lewis Astron. Young Folks xiv. 98 In Argo Navis is one of the finest telescopic objects in the heavens, the Keyhole Nebula. 2010 C. Stott et al. Space 217 This nebula is home to smaller nebulae, such as the Keyhole Nebula. keyhole neckline n. a neckline with a circle, oval, or slit cut into or near the front or back, giving a shape resembling a keyhole; cf. sense 5. ΚΠ 1944 N.Y. Times Mag. 18 June 30 (caption) Janet's dress is black crepe which boasts of a keyhole neckline. 1963 Honey Oct. 64/3 Girly dress with a Puritan collar and keyhole neckline. 2012 Mirror (Nexis) 19 Jan. 39 A slinky black lace dress with sheer sleeves and a keyhole neckline. keyhole-protector n. now rare = keyhole guard n. ΚΠ 1849 Sci. Amer. 26 May 294/1 To E. Kershaw of Boston, Mass, for improved Key Hole Protector Patented May 22, 1849. 1888 Cassell's Family Mag. 8 685/1 Stamped letters stuck under the keyhole-protector of doors. 1916 Amer. Artisan & Hardware Rec. 29 Apr. 45/1 Keyhole-Protector. Warren O. Fusselman, Seattle, Wash. Filed March 15, 1915. keyhole saw n. a saw with a long narrow blade for cutting small holes such as keyholes. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > cutting tool > saw > [noun] > other saws handsaw1399 rug-saw1582 frame saw1633 nocksaw1659 bow-saw1678 lock saw1688 stadda1688 wire saw1688 panel saw1754 keyhole saw1761 web saw1799 table saw1832 rack saw1846 scroll-saw1851 fretsaw1865 back saw1874 foxtail-saw1874 tub-saw1874 gullet-saw1875 Swede saw1934 1761 in G. Washington Papers (1990) Colonial Ser. VII. 94 Joiners Tools..one Sash Saw, one Compass Saw, one Key Hole Saw. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art I. 107 A small kind of compass-saw, called a key-hole saw, is used for quick curves, such as key-holes. 2004 A. Sileika Woman in Bronze 114 He worked first on the long fascia boards,..creating tulip-leaf cut-outs with a small keyhole saw. keyhole-shaped adj. having the shape of a keyhole.See note at sense 1a. ΚΠ 1840 Lancet 4 July 515/2 An alveolar cavity slightly keyhole-shaped. 1911 F. J. Britten Old Clocks & Watches (ed. 3) v. 266 The light would also shine through a keyhole-shaped aperture. 2002 J. Weyland Answer is Never x. 139 The park..had a huge keyhole-shaped pool. keyhole slit n. a small slit resembling a keyhole. ΚΠ 1855 H. H. Bigg On Artific. Limbs ii. iii. 65 The only time the two surfaces can part is when the projection on the plug A. and the key-hole slit of the aperture B. become coincident. 1881 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 65 A man standing on his head to keep him quiet, and another cutting a ‘keyhole’ slit in his ear. 2009 C. Fischer Routine Miracles xi. 132 A physician of intensely high skill who can operate through a keyhole slit a few millimeters across. keyhole urchin n. any of various sand dollars having one or more elongated perforations in the test and belonging to the family Mellitidae or related families; esp. one of the genus Mellita of the Atlantic coasts of America. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > phylum Echinodermata > [noun] > subphylum Eleutherozoa > class Echinoidea > order Clypeastroidea > member of > member of genus Mellita keyhole urchin1868 1868 A.A. Tenney Pictures & Stories Animals 41 The name of this curious sea-urchin is Mellita..also sometimes called the Key-hole Urchin. 1904 H. L. Clark in Bull. U.S. Fish. Comm. 1902 XXXII. 565 Mellita pentapora (Gmelin). Key-hole Urchin. 2008 D. Brown Fly Fishing Bonefish 62/1 The Five-Holed Keyhole Urchin..lives just beneath the surface, creating a thin mound over its body. keyhole whistler n. slang †(a) British a person who sleeps in a barn or outhouse; a tramp, a vagrant (obsolete); (b) U.S. a criminal in hiding (rare). ΚΠ ?1830 Wedding Paddy O'Carroll in M. G. Lewis Crazy Jane 7 Fifty set of sparrible weavers, gunsmiths, blacksmiths and nailors, Bogtrotters and street pavers, bobbin-tossers, Millers' doctors, key-hole whistlers and tithe proctors. 1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 311/1 ‘Keyhole whistlers’, the skipper-birds are sometimes called... They start early to good houses for victuals, when gentlefolk are not up. 1890 F. W. Carew No. 747 413 A rough lot they were..reg'lar keyhole whistlers the lot of 'em, skipperin' it for choice when they'd got the price of a doss about 'em. 1935 A. J. Pollock Underworld Speaks 66/2 Keyhole whistler, a criminal in hiding. C2. Surgery. a. attributive, with the sense ‘designating or relating to a very small incision’, as keyhole incision, keyhole technique, etc. Cf. sense 4c. ΚΠ 1921 Lancet 12 Feb. 314/1 The attempt to remove the appendix through a keyhole incision is not to be recommended. 1960 Pract. Dental Monogr. Sept. 11 Access to the surgical site is through a keyhole mucosal incision. 1961 Lancet 22 July 192/1 Separation of the [umbilical] cord was delayed... Accordingly they recommend a keyhole dressing with sterile cord powder. 1996 M. G. Yaşargil Microneurosurgery CNS Tumors xviii. 304/1 The midline tumors are all well accessible using the ‘keyhole’ technique of microsurgery. 2000 Brit. Med. Jrnl. (Electronic ed.) 20 May Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is being promoted with similar enthusiasm to that given to earlier keyhole techniques such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy. b. keyhole surgery n. (a) hyperbolical and humorous the practice of making an incision too small for adequate visualization or access (now rare); (b) surgery in which an endoscope or other instrument is passed through a very small incision in a minimally invasive procedure. ΚΠ 1952 ‘R. Gordon’ Doctor in House vii. 80 I drew a modest line over the lesion. ‘Keyhole surgery!’ said Sir Lancelot with contempt. 1958 Brit. Jrnl. Tuberculosis 52 287 The percentage of positive results depends on the extent and thoroughness of the exploration, especially in the absence of palpable lymph nodes, ‘keyhole surgery’ must be condemned. 1979 H. Selipsky in J. F. Prichard Diagnosis & Treatm. Periodontal Dis. xvii. 309 ‘Keyhole’ surgery is generally poor surgical technique; an incision 5 cm. long will heal as quickly as a similarly made 4-cm. incision. 1981 Clin. Orthopaedics No. 156. 258/2 Currently, people are viewing Band-aid dressings on TV talk shows, and the public is inquiring about ‘keyhole’ surgery. 2000 Daily Tel. 8 Nov. 21/3 I am on a variety of acid suppressants and have had keyhole surgery on the oesophagus. 2006 Mother & Baby Aug. 112/3 Most procedures involved keyhole surgery, where a tiny incision is made in the uterus and a small camera..is inserted. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2012; most recently modified version published online June 2022). keyholev. Brit. /ˈkiːhəʊl/, U.S. /ˈkiˌhoʊl/ Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: keyhole n. Etymology: < keyhole n. Originally and chiefly U.S. 1. transitive. Originally U.S. To look at or listen to (a person, activity, etc.) through a keyhole; (hence) to eavesdrop or spy on. Also: to obtain an intimate view or detailed knowledge of. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > secret observation, spying > spy on [verb (transitive)] waitc1200 spya1325 espyc1420 prog1566 tout1699 bespy1837 keyhole1871 to keep tabs (or a tab) on1889 tec1900 1871 W. A. Butler in Harper's Mag. June 5 Could the public..Have..keyholed him there..As he read Princeps' letter inside of his door, It would have discovered [etc.]. 1893 Daily Jrnl. (Logansport, Indiana) 9 Mar. 6/4 The appearance of Ann..had the effect of an electric shock upon..Samuel, who had been keyholing the two women. 1901 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 6 Apr. 5/5 Patterson..sat just behind us, and he must have keyholed these consultations. 1988 Sunday Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 24 July We are keyholing the private lives of Kitty and the Duke, thanks to Kitty's..diary published every morning in USA Today. 2000 Evening News (Edinb.) (Nexis) 6 May 11 Of all the houses we've keyholed, Gerry's converted water tower is one that sticks in the mind. 2. intransitive. Of a bullet: to strike the target at an angle, so as to make an elongated rather than circular hole. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > competitive shooting > shoot competitively [verb (intransitive)] > of bullet in target practice keyhole1878 society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > discharge of firearms > discharge firearms [verb (intransitive)] > actions of bullet or shot ricochet1804 club1830 cluster1830 strip1854 upset1859 slug1875 keyhole1878 group1882 string1892 mushroom1893 splash1894 to set up1896 phut1901 pattern1904 print1961 1878 Rep. Secretary of War III. 403 (table) in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (45th Congr., 3rd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc. 1, Pt. 2) VI Direct hit; keyholed 9' right, 2' above; did not burst. 1905 Kynoch Jrnl. Oct.–Dec. 172 Some of these weapons..shot wildly, the bullet invariably keyholing. 1941 Bradford (Pa.) Era 8 Aug. 15/2 Same load..penetrated the first five boards cleanly, with no lopsidedness, keyholed through the sixth board and penetrated about half an inch into a backboard. 2004 J. F. Mullins Into Treeline xvii. 354 Don't see how a bullet that keyholed like that and went all the way through could have missed all the major blood vessels, but it did. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1504v.1871
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keyholen.

Compounds

keyholev.