keyholes

Doors' small slots

Keyholes are the openings in locks through which keys are inserted.

The shape—narrow slot widening to a circle—has become iconic, appearing in designs and logos.

A keyhole offers a restricted view: to look through the keyhole is to spy or glimpse something private.

Keyhole surgery uses tiny incisions.

A keyhole neckline is a small opening in a garment.

peeping

peek

Furtive brief look

spyCovert information gatherer
glimpseFleeting view
voyeurismErotic observation without consent

prying · snoop · curiosity · watching · peephole · eavesdrop · surveillance · sightline · kneeling · squinting

lock

tumblers

Stemless drinking glasses

pickPointed breaking tool
boltThreaded rod for nuts
unlockOpen a secured closure

deadbolt · padlock · latch · warded · skeleton · mechanism · locksmith · cylinder · keyway · pins

shape

aperture

Adjustable optical inlet

slotNarrow slit for insertion
openingGap or start
cutoutShape removed from material

oval · brass · plate · ornate · decorative · Victorian · covered · flap · illuminated · narrow

Categories

openingsopening, aperture, gap, hole, slit
Steampunkgears, cogs, brass goggles, airship, dirigible

Opposites

openness/closure

keyholesdeadbolts

Locks requiring key turns

blockages · plugs · stoppers

part vs. whole

keyholeslocking systems

Mechanisms controlling entry access

security systems

visibility/concealment

keyholesblank walls

barriers · blockades · obstructions · closures

Phrases

keyhole surgeryOperation via tiny incisions
through the keyhole
keyhole sawNarrow blade for interior cuts
keyhole surgeriesOperations through tiny incisions

Family

keyhole, keyholing

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G