noun / verb
key
A button pressed to enter information or produce a musical sound.
She presses a piano key and hears a low note.
Etymology
The operating-button sense extends the key’s function as a control that makes a mechanism respond. Each pressed key triggers its assigned sound or input.
More examples
- The space key sticks when I type.
- He keys the order number into the terminal.
- Several keys on the keyboard have faded letters.
Forms
key · keys · keyed · keying