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keycard

keycard

10 3.5
A plastic card with a magnetic strip that opens locked doors
  • noun
  • /ˈkiːkɑːrd/
translation icon : tarjeta magnética
  • When I glanced over into booth five, I could see that there was one of our keycards in the activating slot.
  • slide the keycard
  • keycard-access doors
  • get the keycard

Examples

  • Here, the keycard that got us inside the prison and through the first three doors, suddenly stops working.

  • The health department has keycard machines on inside doors that should only be accessed by employees, and a keycard is required to get into the outside employee entrance as well.

    Blog text (10)
  • We found a keycard for a room in his pocket.

  • What do you do with the keycard?

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I'm gonna need your keycard.

  • Jubal tried to open the door with his keycard, but it was refused.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • We reviewed keycard scans and surveillance tapes.

  • Give me your keycard!

  • Your thumbprint on a keycard app generates a bar code that gets you anywhere your clearance is allowed.

  • She used her keycard to unlock the hotel room door.

Surface Forms

keycard singular
keycards plural

Morphology

keycard = key + card (transparent) = key + card

The meaning is directly the combination of 'key' and 'card'—a card that functions as a key to operate a lock.

Etymology

Keycard is simply key + card, meaning a 'card' that acts like a 'key'. So a keycard is a plastic card you use to open doors or get into a room.