key word
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key·word
also key word (kē′wûrd′)n.
1. A word that serves as a key to a code or cipher.
2. A significant or descriptive word.
3. A word used as a reference point for finding other words or information.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | key word - a word that is used as a pattern to decode an encrypted message key - a list of words or phrases that explain symbols or abbreviations |
2. | key word - a significant word used in indexing or cataloging word - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning" index - an alphabetical listing of names and topics along with page numbers where they are discussed |
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