📳 A remote opener 🔑 A key ornament

key fob

1 3.6

A small thing on a key ring that makes keys easier to find

noun
/ki fɑb/

: llavero

Her new key fob had a unique design that made it stand out from her other keys.

I had like my key chain with like my Airpods and also like my key fob, which counts as a key.

Examples

He attached a small key fob to his key ring to help him find his keys more easily.
I had like my key chain with like my Airpods and also like my key fob, which counts as a key.

Nicole Laeno
After he lost his keys, he decided to get a brightly colored key fob to ensure he wouldn't misplace them again.

Synonyms

keychain

vskey fob

12 1.1

A small ring or chain that holds keys together

is mainly an ornament that helps identify or handle rings

fob

vskey fob

Specialized

7 6.8

A small electronic device on a keyring that opens doors or starts cars

is a non electronic ornament focused on making rings easier to handle

keyfob

vskey fob

1 4.6

A small object on a key ring used to identify keys or unlock a car from a distance

is the same meaning but often written as two words

How Decorative

ornamental

13 4.0

key fob

1 3.6

decorative

48 3.9

Surface Forms

key fob singular

key fobs plural

Morphology

key + fob

The meaning is directly inferable from combining 'key' (an object for opening locks) with 'fob' (a small electronic access device): together they denote a small device associated with keys that grants access or unlocks systems. This noun-noun compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Key fob comes from a simple, old idea: a 'fob' was a small pocket or tag people used to carry a watch or coin, so a key fob is the small tag or ornament you attach to a key to make it easier to hold or find. That's why it means 'a small item on a key ring'.