keyhole

keyhole — noun

1. a small opening in the front of a lock, shaped to fit a key, that allows the key

1.名詞B1
釋義

a small opening in the front of a lock, shaped to fit a key, that allows the key to turn and open or close the lock

例句

Antonia crouched down and peered through the keyhole to see who was there.

A large brass keyhole on the old wooden door glinted in the moonlight.

adjective + keyhole: large brass keyhole

同義詞
  • key slot

    more technical than 'keyhole'; often used for modern electronic or flat-key locks

  • keyway

    specialist locksmith term for the internal channel that guides the key; not common in everyday speech

用法筆記

The compound noun 'keyhole surgery' refers to a type of minimally invasive surgery performed through very small incisions. This medical use is common even though 'keyhole' by itself does not carry that meaning.

常見錯誤

❌I lost my keyhole and cannot open the door.
✅I lost my key and cannot open the door.
💡'keyhole' is the opening, not the metal object you insert.
❌She looked through the key of the door.
✅She looked through the keyhole of the door.
💡'key' is the tool that goes into the keyhole, not the opening itself.

2. the painted rectangular area on a basketball court directly in front of the bask

2.名詞B2
釋義

the painted rectangular area on a basketball court directly in front of the basket, within which players take free throws and certain positioning rules apply

例句

Rachid drove toward the basket and was fouled inside the keyhole.

preposition: inside the keyhole

The referee ordered the players to leave the keyhole for the free throw.

同義詞
  • free-throw lane

    the official basketball term for the same area

  • the paint

    informal basketball slang, referring to the painted colour of the lane

  • the key

    shortened form of 'keyhole' commonly used in basketball commentary

用法筆記

Also called 'the key' or 'the paint' in informal basketball language. The term 'keyhole' comes from the original key-like shape of the free-throw lane before it was standardized as a rectangle in the 1950s. This sense is primarily American English.

常見錯誤

❌He shot the ball from outside the key.
✅He shot the ball from outside the keyhole.
💡While 'key' is an accepted shortened form among basketball fans, 'keyhole' is clearer for learners.
❌The referee stood on the keyhole.
✅The referee stood outside the keyhole.
💡The keyhole is a painted area on the floor; referees do not stand inside it during play.

keyhole — adjective