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Glite Dictionary
📳 A remote opener 🔑 A key ornament
key fob

key fob

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
15 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
4 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
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
14 4.0
key fob
3.6
decorative
49 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'.