"skeleton key" meaning in All languages combined

See skeleton key on Wiktionary

Noun [English]

Forms: skeleton keys [plural]
Head templates: {{en-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".
    Sense id: en-skeleton_key-en-noun-kIL-Trj6
  2. A key that has parts filed away so that it will open a range of locks. Translations (key that opens a range of locks): шперц (šperc) (Bulgarian), 百合匙 (baak³ hap⁶ si⁴) (Chinese Cantonese), 萬能鑰匙 /万能钥匙 (wànnéng yàoshi) (Chinese Mandarin), loper [masculine] (Dutch), yleisavain (Finnish), passe-partout [masculine] (French), πασπαρτού (paspartoú) (Greek), álkulcs (Hungarian), passe-partout [masculine] (Italian), adultera clavis [feminine] (Latin), калауз (kalauz) [masculine] (Macedonian), universalnøkkel [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), universalnykel [masculine] (Norwegian Nynorsk), universalnøkkel [masculine] (Norwegian Nynorsk), chave-mestra [feminine] (Portuguese), ключ от всех двере́й (ključ ot vsex dveréj) [masculine] (Russian), llave maestra [feminine] (Spanish), halipsusi (Tagalog), gansuwa (Tagalog), กุญแจผี (gun-jɛɛ-pǐi) (Thai), chìa khoá vạn năng (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-skeleton_key-en-noun-Jg2YaUOi Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Cantonese translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Tagalog translations, Terms with Thai translations, Terms with Vietnamese translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 7 60 3 30 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 8 59 9 23 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 4 67 4 25 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 3 67 5 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 13 53 12 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Cantonese translations: 13 55 12 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 11 58 11 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 13 55 12 20 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 12 59 8 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 17 45 9 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 18 42 9 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 10 61 10 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 10 61 10 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 12 54 12 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 16 50 11 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Nynorsk translations: 4 72 4 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 12 54 12 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 15 52 12 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 10 61 10 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 7 67 6 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Tagalog translations: 13 55 12 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Thai translations: 11 56 11 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Vietnamese translations: 12 54 12 22 Disambiguation of 'key that opens a range of locks': 15 55 17 13
  3. A master key.
    Sense id: en-skeleton_key-en-noun-jcjAED~t
  4. (figurative) A key (A crucial step or requirement) or (An idea, theory or observation that explains, justifies or renders (something) comprehensible). Tags: figuratively
    Sense id: en-skeleton_key-en-noun-dYupmajH
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: passkey
Categories (other): Security Disambiguation of Security: 0 0 0 0

Inflected forms

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        "A key that has parts filed away so that it will open a range of locks."
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          "filed",
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          "roman": "šperc",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "шперц"
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          "roman": "baak³ hap⁶ si⁴",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "百合匙"
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        },
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          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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          "_dis1": "15 55 17 13",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "yleisavain"
        },
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          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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            "masculine"
          ],
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        },
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          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "lang_code": "el",
          "roman": "paspartoú",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "πασπαρτού"
        },
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          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "álkulcs"
        },
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          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "passe-partout"
        },
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          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "lang_code": "la",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "adultera clavis"
        },
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          "code": "mk",
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          "lang_code": "mk",
          "roman": "kalauz",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "калауз"
        },
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          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "lang_code": "no",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "tags": [
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          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "lang_code": "nn",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "chave-mestra"
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          "code": "ru",
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          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "ključ ot vsex dveréj",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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          ],
          "word": "ключ от всех двере́й"
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          "word": "llave maestra"
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          "word": "gansuwa"
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          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "lang_code": "th",
          "roman": "gun-jɛɛ-pǐi",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "กุญแจผี"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 55 17 13",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "lang_code": "vi",
          "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
          "word": "chìa khoá vạn năng"
        }
      ]
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      "code": "bg",
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      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "šperc",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "lang_code": "yue",
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      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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    },
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      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "wànnéng yàoshi",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "萬能鑰匙 /万能钥匙"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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      ],
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    },
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      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "yleisavain"
    },
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      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "passe-partout"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "lang_code": "el",
      "roman": "paspartoú",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "πασπαρτού"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "álkulcs"
    },
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      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "passe-partout"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "lang_code": "la",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "adultera clavis"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "lang_code": "mk",
      "roman": "kalauz",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "калауз"
    },
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      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "lang_code": "no",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "universalnøkkel"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "lang_code": "nn",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
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        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "universalnykel"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "lang_code": "nn",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "universalnøkkel"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "chave-mestra"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "ključ ot vsex dveréj",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ключ от всех двере́й"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "llave maestra"
    },
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      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "lang_code": "tl",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "halipsusi"
    },
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      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "lang_code": "tl",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "gansuwa"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "lang_code": "th",
      "roman": "gun-jɛɛ-pǐi",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "กุญแจผี"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "lang_code": "vi",
      "sense": "key that opens a range of locks",
      "word": "chìa khoá vạn năng"
    }
  ],
  "word": "skeleton key"
}

Download raw JSONL data for skeleton key meaning in All languages combined (5.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.