master key

See synonyms for master key on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a key that will open a number of different locks, the proper keys of which are not interchangeable.

Origin of master key

1
First recorded in 1570–80

Words Nearby master key

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use master key in a sentence

  • Look, only look into the closet; wait here a moment, and I'll fetch a master key that shall open every one of them.

    The Castle of Andalusia | John O'Keeffe

British Dictionary definitions for master key

master key

noun
  1. a key that opens all the locks of a set, the individual keys of which are not interchangeable: Also called: pass key

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012