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

Most people refer to lock keyways as keyholes, a linguistic carryover from the days when locks utilized bit keys that actually entered the lock through a hole in the door.²

See also

• Key (lock)
• Key relevance

Notes

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