keyhole /ˈkiˌhoʊ̯l/noun 10verb 1forms 3 noun10 •The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and turns.The key-hole was still their port of egress and regress, and it resembled the aperture of a bee-hive, on a sunny day in June. — 1850 •Any small opening resembling the hole for a key in shape or function; especially, one that gives a vista of, or access to, a space beyond. •A small incision through which surgical instruments can reach into an anatomic space beyond. •A circle cut out of a garment as a decorative effect, typically at the front or back neckline of a dress. •The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line; key. •A gravitational keyhole. •A transient column of vapor or plasma formed when using high energy beams, such as lasers, for welding or cutting. •A welding method in which a hole forms in the surface immediately ahead of the puddle in the direction of welding. The hole is filled as the weld progresses. •A hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key that fastens them. •A mortise for a key or cotter. verb1 •To strike a target after wobbling in flight so that the long axis of the bullet does not follow the line of flight, typically due to insufficient spin resulting from the rifling in the barrel. formskeyholed · keyholing · keyholes
