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Glite Dictionary
🔑 To change a lock 🎵 To change pitch
to rekey

to rekey

1 6.0
To change a lock so a new key works and old keys stop working
  • verb
  • /riːˈkiː/
translation icon : cambiar la cerradura
  • She hired a locksmith in Foster City to rekey the building.

Examples

  • After losing the office key, the manager decided to rekey all the locks for safety.

  • And the letter writer says he wants to rekey his own office.

    Blog text (1)

  • You may have recently moved and wish to rekey your locks for added security.

    Blog text (31)

  • I rekeyed a house for a guy who was a co-owner of one of these failed solar companies in Arizona.

    Blog text (4)

  • When I rekeyed the place, there was a whole bunch of office chairs, desks, file cabinets, etc.

    Blog text (4)

  • To improve security after moving, you should rekey the locks on your new home.

  • The landlord instructed the maintenance team to rekey the apartment doors before new tenants arrived.

Surface Forms

rekey infinitive
rekeyed past
rekeyed past participle
rekeying present participle
rekeys third person singular

Morphology

rekey = key (transparent) = re + key

The meaning is a straightforward case of doing the keying operation again or anew.

Etymology

The word rekey comes from the prefix re- 'again' and key 'a key for a lock', so it means making a lock work with a new key so old keys do not work anymore.