To fasten or secure firmly; to fasten or tighten with keys or wedges.

Essential; most important; as, the key fact in the inquiry; the president was the key player inthe negotiations.

See Keynote.

Cold as a metallic key; lifeless.

Wharfage; quayage.

The whole arrangement, or one range, of the keys{3} of an organ, piano, typewriter, etc.; that part of a device containing the keys{3} used to operate it.

Furnished with keys; as, a keyed instrument; also, set to a key, as a tune.

A hole or apertupe in a door or lock, for receiving a key.

lacking or not requiring a key; as, a keyless lock operated by a series of pushbuttons. Opposite of keyed.

John Maynard Keynes, the british economist (1883-1946) whose book /The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money/ (Macmillan, 1936) had a strong influence on views of the government's role in the economy through the 1970's. See Keynesian.

Of or pertaining to John Maynard Keynes; conforming to the theories of Keynesianism; -- especially, the term is used to refer to the macroeconomic theories and politico-economic policies proposed by Keynes and his followers, especially in regards to their advocacy of governmental action to maintain low unemployment through government spending. Keynes's book /The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money/ (Macmillan, 1936) had a strong influence on views of the government's role in the economy through the 1970's.

the macroeconomic theories and politico-economic policies of British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) and his followers; -- used especially in reference to their advocacy of governmental action to maintain low unemployment through government spending. See Keynes.

The tonic or first tone of the scale in which a piece or passage is written; the fundamental tone of the chord, to which all the modulations of the piece are referred; -- called also key tone.

To form a key seat, as by cutting. See Key seat, under Key.

The central or topmost stone of an arch. This in some styles is made different in size from the other voussoirs, or projects, or is decorated with carving. See Illust. of Arch.

See Key way, under Key.

A word used as an entry point into an index which serves to identify files, records, texts, or other data containing the keyword or some related word, such as a synonym. It is a type of key{15}; as, a boolean combination of keywords is more effective for information retrieval than a single key{15}.

Any kind of khaki cloth; hence, a uniform of khaki or, rarely, a soldier clad in khaki. In the United States and British armies khaki or cloth of a very similar color is almost exclusively used for service in the field.

See Caliph.

the dialect of Mongolian that is the official language of the Mongolian People's Republic.

Same as Kamsin.

A hot southwesterly wind in Egypt, coming from the Sahara.

An Eastern inn or caravansary.

Dominion or jurisdiction of a khan.

A city in Ukraine; -- its former capital.

A lofty West African tree (Khaya Senegalensis), related to the mahogany, which it resembles in the quality of the wood. The bark is used as a febrifuge.

A governor or viceroy; -- a title granted in 1867 by the sultan of Turkey to the ruler of Egypt.

See Henna.

The Indian jackal.

The dhole.

A Dravidian of a group of tribes of Orissa, India, a section of whom were formerly noted for their cruel human sacrifices to the earth goddess, murder of female infants, and marriage by capture.

An address or public prayer read from the steps of the pulpit in Muslim mosques, offering glory to God, praising Mohammed and his descendants, and the ruling princes.

The Sumerian goddess personifying earth; the counterpart of Akkadian Aruru.

a deciduous South African tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) having large odd-pinnate leaves and profuse fragrant orange-yellow flowers; it yields a red juice and heavy strong durable wood.

See Kyaboca wood.

The dziggetai.

A large iron bucket used in Cornwall and Wales for raising ore out of mines.

Portions of small fish used for bait on the banks of Newfoundland.

an Israeli communal{2} form of agricultural settlement. Originally it was predominantly agricultural and practiced a very high level of sharing, including collective rearing of children. More recently (by 1998) industries have taken over a significant role in the Kibbutz economy, and the level of sharing has dropped significantly.

a member of a kibbutz.

A chap or crack in the flesh occasioned by cold; an ulcerated chilblain.

Chapped; cracked with cold; affected with chilblains; as, kibed heels.

A tent used by the Kirghiz Tartars.

See Keblah.

Nonsense; stuff; also, fashion; style.

Affected with kibes.

See Kechil.

A blow with the foot or feet; a striking or thrust with the foot.

To pay (a kickback); as, they kicked back five percent of the sales price.

to begin; to commence; as, they kicked off the rally with a playing of the national anthem.

Capable or deserving of being kicked.

A tribe of Indians which formerly occupied the region of Northern Illinois, allied in language to the Sacs and Foxes.

recoil, of a gun or machine, as in older automobile engines when started by turning a crank.

One who, or that which, kicks.

The act of delivering a blow with the foot.

A kick from the center of the field to start a football game or to resume it after a score.

See Kickshaws, the correct singular.

Something fantastical; any trifling, trumpery thing; a toy.

A kickshaws.

Fantastic; restless; as, kicksy-wicksy flames.

That which is restless and uneasy.

See Kiddy, v. t.

A young fox.

imp. of Kythe.

A kind of ingrain carpeting, named from the English town where formerly most of it was manufactured.

A huckster; a cadger.

A kind of basketwork weir in a river, for catching fish.

The guillemot.

A young fellow; formerly, a low thief.

Frolicsome; sportive.

A young kid.

To take (any one) by force or fear, and against one's will, with intent to carry to another place.

One who steals or forcibly carries away a human being; a manstealer.

the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment.

Having the form or shape of a kidney; reniform; as, a kidney-shaped leaf; a kidney-shaped swimming pool.

A kind of saxifrage (Saxifrage stellaris). The navelwort.

A soft smooth leather from the hide of a young goat; kid{3}.

Kine; cows.

A species of clay; meerschaum.

A large tub or vat in which goods are subjected to the action of hot lye or bleaching liquor; -- also called keeve.

Siliceous earth; diatomaceous earth; specifically, porous infusorial earth, used as an absorbent of nitroglycerin in the manufacture of dynamite.

Hydrous sulphate of magnesia found at the salt mines of Stassfurt, Prussian Saxony.

See Keeve, n.

A small genus of South African shrubs or small trees.

To kick.

A derogatory name for a jew, usually intended and taken as disparaging and offensive.

Same as killdeer.

A small barrel; an old liquid measure containing eighteen English beer gallons, or nearly twenty-two gallons, United States measure.

A unit of work equal to one thousand ergs.

An Australian boomerang, having one side flat and the other convex.

Two cats fabled, in an Irish story, to have fought till nothing was left but their tails. It is probably a parable of a local contest between Kilkenny and Irishtown, which impoverished both towns.

The act of killing.

One who causes gloom or grief; a dispiriting person; a spoilsport.

fit to kill, especially for food.

A small American plover (Charadrius vociferus, formerly Aegialitis vocifera) of inland waters and fields having a distinctive cry. The adult has two black bands around the neck and upper breast, but the young chick has only the breast band. It ranges from Canada to Mexico and the West Indies.

One who deprives of life; one who, or that which, kills.

see killer{2}.

A gutter, groove, or channel. A hipped roof.

Any one of several small American cyprinodont fishes of the genus Fundulus and allied genera. They live equally well in fresh and brackish water, or even in the sea. They are usually striped or barred with black. Called also minnow, and brook fish. See Minnow.

The Cornish chough. See under Chough.

See Kinnikinic.

Literally, that kills; having power to kill; fatal; in a colloquial sense, conquering; captivating; irresistible.

The act or process of causing a living organism to die.

A small anchor; also, a kind of anchor formed by a stone inclosed by pieces of wood fastened together.

An earth of a blackish or deep blue color.

A large stove or oven; a furnace of brick or stone, or a heated chamber, for the purpose of hardening, burning, or drying anything; as, a kiln for baking or hardening earthen vessels; a kiln for drying grain, meal, lumber, etc.; a kiln for calcining limestone.

To dry in a kiln; as, to kiln-dry meal or grain.

The mouth or opening of an oven or kiln.

An abbreviation of Kilogram.

A combining form used to signify thousand in forming the names of units of measurement; as, kilogram, kilometer, kilowatt, etc.

A measure of mass and weight, being a thousand grams, equal to 2.2046226 pounds avoirdupois (15,432.34 grains). It is nearly equal to the mass of a cubic decimeter of distilled water at the temperature of maximum density, or 39/ Fahrenheit. See 3rd gram.

A measure of energy or work done, being the amount expended in raising one kilogram through the height of one meter, in the latitude of Paris.

A measure of capacity equal to a cubic meter, or a thousand liters. It is equivalent to 35.315 cubic feet, and to 220.04 imperial gallons, or 264.18 American gallons of 321 cubic inches.

A measure of length, being a thousand meters. It is equal to 3,280.84 feet, or 0.62137119 of a mile.

A cubic measure containing 1000 cubic meters, and equivalent to 35,315 cubic feet.

A unit of electromotive force equal to one thousand volts.

One thousand watts.

To tuck up; to truss up, as the clothes.

Having on a kilt.

Regular order or proper condition. Same as kelter, but kilter is the more common spelling in the U. S. Used chiefly in the phrase out of kilter, meaning out of order or irregular in some manner.