key

clé

Petit objet métallique de forme particulière servant à ouvrir ou fermer une serrure, ou à démarrer un véhicule.

En anglais simple : A small shaped piece of metal used to open or lock a door or start a vehicle.

• I lost my key.
• She turned the key in the lock.
• Have you seen my car keys?

Expressions courantes : door key, car key, spare key

touche

Bouton d’un ordinateur ou d’une machine à écrire sur lequel on appuie pour saisir des lettres ou des commandes.

En anglais simple : A button on a computer or typing machine that you press to enter letters or commands.

• Press the Enter key.
• One key on my keyboard is broken.
• Hold down both keys to copy the text.

Synonymes : button

Expressions courantes : enter key, press a key, shift key, escape key

clé électronique, carte d’accès

Carte ou petit appareil électronique permettant d’ouvrir une serrure.

En anglais simple : A card or small electronic device that opens a lock.

• Tap your key against the reader.
• The hotel gave us two room keys.
• My electronic key no longer opens the garage.

Synonymes : access card, key card

Expressions courantes : room key, electronic key, key card

touche

Partie d’un piano ou d’un instrument semblable sur laquelle on appuie pour produire un son.

En anglais simple : One of the parts you press on a piano or similar instrument to make a sound.

• Press this piano key.
• Her fingers moved quickly across the keys.
• The organ has several rows of keys.

Expressions courantes : piano key, black key, white key

tonalité

Note principale et ensemble de notes qui lui sont liées, servant de base à un morceau de musique.

En anglais simple : The main note and related set of notes around which a piece of music is built.

• This song is in a minor key.
• We changed the key to suit her voice.
• Can you play it in the key of G?

Comment l'utiliser : in the key of something (The piece is in the key of D major.)

Synonymes : tonality

Expressions courantes : key of c, major key, minor key

clé, essentiel

Très important pour le fonctionnement ou la réussite de quelque chose.

En anglais simple : Very important to the way something works or succeeds.

• Sleep is a key part of good health.
• She played a key role in the project.
• We discussed the key issues at the meeting.

Comment l'utiliser : key to something (Good communication is key to success.)

Synonymes : important, crucial, major

Contraires : minor, unimportant

Expressions courantes : key role, key factor, key issue, key player

saisir, taper

Entrer des informations dans un ordinateur en appuyant sur les touches du clavier.

En anglais simple : To enter information into a computer by pressing buttons on a keyboard.

• Please key in your password.
• She keyed the figures into a spreadsheet.
• Have you keyed in all the addresses?

Comment l'utiliser : key something in (He keyed the code in carefully.); key something into something (She keyed the numbers into the computer.)

Synonymes : type, enter, input

Expressions courantes : key in something, key something in, key into something

rayer

Abîmer volontairement une voiture ou une autre surface en la rayant avec une clé ou un objet semblable.

En anglais simple : To deliberately damage a car or another surface by scratching it with a key or similar object.

• Someone keyed my car.
• His parked van was keyed overnight.
• The police caught a man keying vehicles outside the station.

Synonymes : scratch

Expressions courantes : key a car, key someone’s car