skeleton key

noun

plural skeleton keys

: a key with a large part of the bit filed away to enable it to open low quality locks as a master key

called also passkey

Examples of skeleton key in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe that will be the skeleton key to unlocking what has been unlockable. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Created in the 1980s to control dial-up modems, AT commands act as a skeleton key to a device’s cellular hardware. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026

That changed in 1996 when he was given a skeleton key that opened glass advertising boxes on the sides of phone booths and bus kiosks. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Woven baskets, plates, and even odds and ends like skeleton keys and bottle openers make for eye-catching outdoor art that can withstand the elements. — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for skeleton key

• actuary
• antiquary
• bolsheviki
• bronchoscopy
• calliope
• chelicerae
• colposcopy
• covenantee
• cruciferae
• cystoscopy
• diastole
• distributee

Kids Definition

skeleton key

noun

: a key made to open many locks