Key, Keys, The Key or The Keys may refer to:

Common uses

Key (cryptography) A key in cryptography is a piece of information, usually a string of numbers or letters that are stored in a file, which, when processed through a cryptographic algorithm, can encode or decode cryptographic data. Based on the used method, the key c ...

, a piece of information needed to encode or decode a message *

Key (instrument) A key is a specific part of a musical instrument. The purpose and function of the part in question depend on the instrument. On instruments equipped with tuning machines such as guitars or mandolins, a key is part of a tuning machine. It is a ...

, a component of a musical instrument *

Key (lock) A lock is a mechanics, mechanical or Electronics, electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object (such as a key, Keycard lock, keycard, fingerprint, Radio-frequency identification, RFID card, security token or coin), by supplyi ...

, a device used to operate a lock * Key (map), a guide to a map's symbology *

Key (music) In music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition in classical, Western art, and Western pop music. The group features a '' tonic note'' and its corresponding ''chords'', a ...

, the scale of a piece of music * Key on a

typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...

computer keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technology ...

Arts, entertainment and media

Films

* ''The Key'' (1934 film), an American pre-Code film * ''The Key'' (1958 film), starring William Holden and Sophia Loren * ''The Key'', also known as ''

Odd Obsession is a 1959 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was based on the novel '' The Key'', by Japanese novelist Junichirō Tanizaki. Plot A man who suspects ...

'', a 1959 Japanese comedy drama * ''The Key'' (1961 film), a Soviet animated feature * ''The Key'' (1965 film), a Croatian omnibus film * ''The Key'' (1971 film), a Czechoslovakian drama * ''The Key'' (1983 film), an Italian erotic film * ''The Key'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''The Key'' (2007 film), a French thriller film * ''Key'' (film), a 2011 Telugu-language psychological thriller * ''The Key'' (2014 film), an American erotic drama film

Literature

* ''The Key'' (Curley novel), by Marianne Curley, 2005 * ''The Key'' (Elfgren and Strandberg novel), by Mats Strandberg and Sara Bergmark Elfgren, 2013 * ''The Key'' (Tanizaki novel), by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, 1956 * "The Key" (short story), by Isaac Asimov, 1966 * ''The Key: A Startling Enquiry into the Riddle of Man's Past'', a 1969 book by

John Philip Cohane John Philip Cohane, born in New Haven, Connecticut was an American author. He later moved to Ireland where he wrote books on etymology and ancient astronaut themes. Books Cohane published ''The Indestructible Irish'' in 1968 in which he proposed t ...

* ''The Key'', a magazine published by

Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, United States. It has a membership of more than 260,000 women, with 140 collegiate chapters in the United States a ...

* "The Key", a short story by Satyajit Ray * ''The Keys'' (journal), of the League of Coloured Peoples founded in 1933

Music

Bands

The Keys (English band) The Keys were an English, London-based band active from 1979 until 1983. The band was formed by bassist Drew Barfield (later of the Big Heat and Los Pacaminos), guitarist Steve Tatler, Ben Grove, and Paul McCartney's former drummer Geoff Britton ...

, 1979–1983 * The Keys, a Welsh band successor to

Murry the Hump Murry the Hump were a Welsh indie rock and "urban folk" band. They were active from 1999 until 2001. Since then they have continued to release music under the name The Keys (or simply Keys). History The band was formed in Aberystwyth in the la ...

Albums

* ''Key'' (Meredith Monk album), 1971 * ''Key'' (Son, Ambulance album), 2004 * ''The Key'' (Joan Armatrading album), 1983 * ''The Key'' (Vince Gill album), 1998 * ''The Key'' (Nocturnus album), 1990 * ''The Key'' (Operation: Mindcrime album), 2015 * ''Keys'' (album), by Alicia Keys, 2021 * ''The Keys'' (EP), by GWSN, 2020

Songs

* "The Key" (Speech Debelle song), 2009 * "The Key" (Matt Goss song), 1995 * "The Key", a song by Ou Est Le Swimming Pool from the 2010 album '' The Golden Year'' * "Key", a song by Band-Maid from the 2014 album ''

Maid in Japan ''Maid in Japan'' is the debut mini-album by Japanese all-female rock band Band-Maid Band-Maid (stylized as BAND-MAID® until 2016) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013, consisting of singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead ...

'' * "The Key", a 2010 song by Edita Abdieski * "Key", a song by C418 from the 2011 album ''

Minecraft – Volume Alpha ''Minecraft – Volume Alpha'' is the second studio album and first soundtrack album by German electronic musician Daniel Rosenfeld, known by his pseudonym C418. It was digitally released on 4 March 2011 independently as the first installment o ...

'' * "The Keys", a song by Crazy Town from the 2015 album ''

The Brimstone Sluggers ''The Brimstone Sluggers'' is the third studio album by American rap rock band Crazy Town. It was released on August 28, 2015 and was Crazy Town's first album in 13 years since ''Darkhorse'' in 2002. According to Mazur, the album is a stylistic ...

'' * "Key", a song by Porter Robinson from the 2017 EP '' Virtual Self''

Television

* "The Key", a ''Code Lyoko'' episode, 2005 * "The Key" (''Fear the Walking Dead''), 2020 * "The Key", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 1), 2006 * "The Key" (''The Walking Dead''), 2018 * "The Key", an episode of ''Yes, Prime Minister'', 1986 * "The Keys" (''Seinfeld''), a 1992 TV episode

Other uses in arts, entertainment and media

Key (character) Key is the name of a supervillain in the DC Comics universe, a long-time and highly dangerous opponent of the Justice League. The character continues to appear in Justice League and Batman comics, with a ghoulish (rather than human) appearance ...

, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe * Key, the title character of '' Key the Metal Idol'', a Japanese original video animation series * ''The Key'', a painting by

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

People

Key (surname) Key is an English and Dutch-language surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Al Key (1905-1976), aviator and mayor of Meridian, Mississippi *Adriaen Thomasz Key (c. 1544 – after 1589), Flemish painter *Alexander Key (1904–1979), Ame ...

, including a list of people with the surname *

Keys (surname) Keys is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alicia Keys (born 1981), American musician *Ancel Keys (1904–2004), American nutritionist *Bobby Keys (1943–2014), American saxophonist * Carleth Keys, Venezuelan journalist ...

, including a list of people with the surname * Key (entertainer) (born 1991), South Korean entertainer

Places

Cay A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great ...

, or key, a small island on the surface of a coral reef ** Key Cay, British Virgin Islands

United States

Key, Alabama Key is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, Alabama, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It c ...

Key, Ohio Key is an unincorporated community in Belmont County, Ohio, Belmont County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. History A post office called Key was established in 1879, and remained in operation until 1933. Key was formerly called Bethel. In addition to th ...

* Key, West Virginia * Keys, Oklahoma *

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

Elsewhere

The Keys, Newfoundland and Labrador The Keys is a settlement located south of Bay Bulls, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Keys is now a part of the town of Bay Bulls, as are the communities of Irishtown, Bread and Cheese, and Gunridge. Spelled "The Quay's" See also *List of communit ...

, Canada *

Rural Municipality of Keys No. 303 The Rural Municipality of Keys No. 303 ( 2016 population: ) is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 9 and Division No. 4. History The RM of Keys No. 303 incorporated as a rural mun ...

, Saskatchewan, Canada *

Key, Iran Key ( fa, كي; also known as Keh) is a village in Tudeshk Rural District, Kuhpayeh District, Isfahan County, Isfahan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in ...

, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran *

Key Island Key Island, with the adjacent Key Reef, is a granite island, with an area of 6 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Long Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait west of Cape Barren Island in the Furneaux Group. The ketc ...

, Tasmania, Australia * The Key, New Zealand, a locality of Mararoa, New Zealand

Science and technology

Candidate key A candidate key, or simply a key, of a relational database is a minimal superkey. In other words, it is any set of columns that have a unique combination of values in each row (which makes it a superkey), with the additional constraint that removi ...

, or simply a key, in relational database management systems **

Unique key In relational database management systems, a unique key is a candidate key that is not the primary key of the relation. All the candidate keys of a relation can uniquely identify the records of the relation, but only one of them is used as the prima ...

* Key (engineering), a machine element used to connect a rotating machine element to a shaft *

KeY Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

, a tool is used in formal verification of Java programs *

The Key (smartcard) The Key is a contactless ITSO-compatible smartcard developed by the Go-Ahead Group used on buses, trains and other forms of public transport across various areas of the United Kingdom. The Key uses near-field communication to electronically ...

, a British smartcard for public transport ticketing * .key, file extension used by Keynote presentation software * Identification key, used to identify biological entities *

Telegraph key A telegraph key is a specialized electrical switch used by a trained operator to transmit text messages in Morse code in a telegraphy system. Keys are used in all forms of electrical telegraph systems, including landline (also called wire) t ...

, or Morse key, a specialized electrical switch

Sports

* Key (basketball), a marked area on a basketball court * Frederick Keys, an American baseball team

Other uses

* Key (company), a Japanese visual novel studio * Key Airlines, an American former airline *

Key School The Key School is an independent coeducational school, located in the neighborhood of Hillsmere Shores in Annapolis, Maryland. The Key School was established by a group of tutors from St. John's College in 1958. Key is a member of the National ...

, in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S. * Keys, a

truce term A truce term is a word or short phrase accepted within a community of children as an effective way of calling for a temporary respite or truce during a game or activity, such as tag or its variants. Common examples in English speaking cultures a ...

used in western Scotland * Amazon Key, a service by Amazon Prime *

House of Keys The House of Keys () is the directly elected lower house of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council. History The oldest known reference to the name is in a document of 1417, written in ...

, the lower branch of the parliament of the Isle of Man *

Samara (fruit) A samara (, ) is a winged achene, a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit, and is indehiscent (not opening along a seam). The shape of a samara enables t ...

, or key, a type of fruit *

Yeoman Warders Club The Keys, more frequently known as the Yeoman Warders Club, is a non-public pub in the Tower of London, in England, open only to the members of the Yeomen Warders, and their guests. The Yeomen Warders, who are known colloquially as the "Beefeater ...

in the Tower of London, or "The Keys" *

KeyBank KeyBank, the primary subsidiary of KeyCorp, is a regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and is the only major bank based in Cleveland. KeyBank is one of the largest banks in the United States. Key's customer base spans retail, small b ...

, an American regional bank based in Cleveland, Ohio