master key

noun

A key designed to open a set of several locks; a passkey.

Similar
passkeypasse-partoutmaster
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounmaster key (plural master keys)

plural master keys

  1. A key designed to open a set of several locks; a passkey.
  2. figurativelyAny tool or technique that can solve many types of difficulty.
  3. slanggovernmentA shotgun shell designed for breaching doors.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounkey that secures entrance everywhere

Similar
passkeypasse-partoutmaster
Broader
key
Also see
masterpasse-partoutpasskey

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian шперц
  • шперц (šperc)key that opens several locks
Chinese Mandarin 萬能鑰匙 /万能钥匙
  • 萬能鑰匙 /万能钥匙 (wànnéng yàoshi)key that opens several locks
Dutch moedersleutel, loper
  • moedersleutelkey that opens several locks
  • loperkey that opens several locks
Finnish yleisavain, yleistyökalu
  • yleisavainkey that opens several locks
  • yleistyökalutool that can solve many types of difficulty
  • patruuna oven avaamiseenshotgun shell
French passe-partout, passepartout
  • passe-partoutkey that opens several locks
  • passepartoutkey that opens several locks
  • passekey that opens several locks
  • passe-partouttool that can solve many types of difficulty
  • passepartouttool that can solve many types of difficulty
German Generalschlüssel, Hauptschlüssel
  • Generalschlüsselkey that opens several locks
  • Hauptschlüsselkey that opens several locks
  • Zentralschlüsselkey that opens several locks
  • Passepartoutkey that opens several locks
Hungarian tolvajkulcs, álkulcs
  • tolvajkulcskey that opens several locks
  • álkulcskey that opens several locks
Japanese 親鍵
  • 親鍵 (oyakagi)key that opens several locks
Malay kunci induk
  • kunci indukkey that opens several locks
Portuguese chave mestra
  • chave mestrakey that opens several locks
Spanish llave maestra
  • llave maestrakey that opens several locks
Swedish huvudnyckel
  • huvudnyckelkey that opens several locks
Tagalog liyabe-maestra
  • liyabe-maestrakey that opens several locks
Cite this entry
APA

master key. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/master%20key

MLA

“master key.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/master%20key. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “master key,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/master%20key.

Source: master key on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.