Keyway

A traditional keyway for a warded lock.

A keyway (or keyhole) is the shaped channel in a lock cylinder into which the key slides to gain access to the lock tumblers.^[1] Lock keyway shapes vary widely with lock manufacturer, and many manufacturers have a number of unique profiles requiring a specifically milled key blank to engage the lock's tumblers.

Background [edit]

Most people refer to lock keyways as keyholes, a linguistic carryover from the days when locks utilized big keys that actually entered the lock through a hole in the door.^[1]

See also [edit]

• Key (lock)
• Key relevance

Notes [edit]

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