keyhole

plural keyholes

1. The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and turns.

   The key-hole was still their port of egress and regress, and it resembled the aperture of a bee-hive, on a sunny day in June.

   1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 306

2. Any small opening resembling the hole for a key in shape or function; especially, one that gives a vista of, or access to, a space beyond.
   1. A small incision through which surgical instruments can reach into an anatomic space beyond.
3. A circle cut out of a garment as a decorative effect, typically at the front or back neckline of a dress.
4. businessA hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key that fastens them.
5. engineeringA mortise for a key or cotter.
6. A transient column of vapor or plasma formed when using high energy beams, such as lasers, for welding or cutting.

   keyhole plasma

   1 more example

   laser keyhole welding

7. engineeringA welding method in which a hole forms in the surface immediately ahead of the puddle in the direction of welding. The hole is filled as the weld progresses.
8. ball gamesThe free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line; key.
9. astronomyA gravitational keyhole.

present singular third person keyholes · participle present keyholing · participle past keyholed · past keyholed

1. engineeringTo strike a target after wobbling in flight so that the long axis of the bullet does not follow the line of flight, typically due to insufficient spin resulting from the rifling in the barrel.