Word.ws English Dictionary

skeleton keys

skeleton keys is the plural of skeleton key.

Meaning of skeleton key

Noun

skeleton key (plural skeleton keys)

  1. A very simple design of key that usually has a cylindrical shaft (sometimes called a "shank") and a single, minimal flat, rectangular tooth or "bit".
  2. A key that has parts filed away so that it will open a range of locks.
  3. A master key.
  4. (figuratively) A key (A crucial step or requirement) or (An idea, theory or observation that explains, justifies or renders (something) comprehensible).
    • The skeleton key to this plan is the marketing, which will make the plan make sense when you see it.

Questions about skeleton keys

What is skeleton keys the plural of?
Skeleton keys is the plural of skeleton key.

Words near skeleton keys in the dictionary

  1. skeleton in one's house
  2. skeleton in the closet
  3. skeleton in the cupboard
  4. skeleton in the house
  5. skeleton key
  6. skeleton keys
  7. skeleton programming
  8. skeleton screen
  9. skeleton screens
  10. skeleton shrimp
  11. skeleton shrimps

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: skeleton keys (page history and authors); skeleton key (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “skeleton keys.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/skeleton_keys. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.