Phrase guide

skeleton key

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 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".

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A key that has parts filed away so that it will open a range of locks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A master key.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A key (A crucial step or requirement) or (An idea, theory or observation that explains, justifies or renders (something) comprehensible).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • The skeleton key to this plan is the marketing, which will make the plan make sense when you see it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a passkey with much of the bit filed away so that it can open different locks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: passkey, passe-partout, master key, master

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: шперц (šperc) — key that opens a range of locks
  • Chinese Cantonese: 百合匙 (baak3 hap6 si4) — key that opens a range of locks
  • Chinese Mandarin: 萬能鑰匙 /万能钥匙 (wànnéng yàoshi) — key that opens a range of locks
  • Dutch: loper — key that opens a range of locks
  • Finnish: yleisavain — key that opens a range of locks
  • French: passe-partout — key that opens a range of locks
  • Greek: πασπαρτού (paspartoú) — key that opens a range of locks
  • Hungarian: álkulcs — key that opens a range of locks
  • Italian: passe-partout — key that opens a range of locks
  • Latin: adultera clavis — key that opens a range of locks
  • Norwegian Bokmål: universalnøkkel — key that opens a range of locks
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: universalnykel — key that opens a range of locks
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: universalnøkkel — key that opens a range of locks
  • Portuguese: chave-mestra — key that opens a range of locks
  • Russian: ключ от всех двере́й (ključ ot vsex dveréj) — key that opens a range of locks
  • Spanish: llave maestra — key that opens a range of locks
  • Tagalog: halipsusi — key that opens a range of locks
  • Tagalog: gansuwa — key that opens a range of locks
  • Thai: กุญแจผี (gun-jɛɛ-pǐi) — key that opens a range of locks
  • Vietnamese: chìa khoá vạn năng — key that opens a range of locks