A small opening in a lock where you insert a key to unlock a door or chest.
From Middle English 'key' (from Old English 'cæg') plus 'hole' (from Old English 'hol'). The compound emerged in the 14th century as locks and keys became standardized in architecture.
The humble keyhole has launched entire genres of storytelling—from fairy tales (keyhole glimpses of forbidden rooms) to spy thrillers—because a keyhole represents the tension between access and secrets.
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