doorkey

plural doorkeys

1. A key that locks and unlocks a door.

   Don had his doorkeys in his hand, and he stuck one of the doorkeys between the box door and the brass frame and used it as a lever. The brass front bent enough for him to reach the letters.

   1969, Patricia Highsmith, “The Birds Poised to Fly”, in The Snail-Watcher and Other Stories, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., published 1970, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 14–15

   2 more examples

   Their plan was deceptively simple. Thelonius’s babymamma Lilette worked as a cleaning-lady – but never for very long. As soon as any household felt the time was right to entrust her with a doorkey, Lilette felt the time was right to entrust it to Thelonius (who had it copied) and then quit the following day.

   1989, Martin Amis, “Little Did They Know”, in London Fields, New York, N.Y.: Harmony Books, →ISBN, page 247

   Once she broke the window of 13 Miller’s Court when drunk. This proved useful when she and Barnett lost the doorkey, as they were able to reach through the broken pane to pull back the spring-lock.

   1991, Paul Begg, Martin Fido, Keith Skinner, “Kelly, Mary Jane or Marie Jeanette”, in The Jack the Ripper A to Z, London: Headline, published 1992, →ISBN, page 221