Key West

proper noun

An island in the Florida Keys, the westernmost significant cay in the archipelago.

OriginSpanish Cayo Hueso →
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. An island in the Florida Keys, the westernmost significant cay in the archipelago.
  2. A city, the county seat of Monroe County, Florida, United States in the Florida Keys, situated on the island of Key West and surrounding islands.
  3. An unincorporated community in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, regarded as the key to the west.
  4. An unincorporated community in Polk County, Minnesota, United States.
  5. A subdivision in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States.
  6. A rural municipality in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, named after Key West in Florida; in full, the Rural Municipality of Key West No. 70.

Origin

  1. SpanishCayo Hueso
  2. EnglishKey West

Borrowed from Spanish Cayo Hueso (literally “Bone Cay”), which was coined in reference to the indigenous use of the island as a gravesite. Modified by folk etymology to Key + West as it is the westernmost inhabited island of the Florida Keys.

More words from Spanish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 基韋斯特 /基韦斯特
  • 基韋斯特 /基韦斯特 (Jīwéisītè)city in the Florida Keys, Florida, USA
Korean 키웨스트
  • 키웨스트 (Kiweseuteu)city in the Florida Keys, Florida, USA
Spanish Cayo Hueso
  • Cayo Huesoisland in the Florida Keys, Florida, USA
Cite this entry
APA

Key West. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Key%20West

MLA

“Key West.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Key%20West. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Key West,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Key%20West.

Source: Key West on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.