Skeleton key

For other uses, see Skeleton Key (disambiguation) and Passkey.

A padlock skeleton key with all of the teeth filed down (right) and a normal key (left) for the same lock. The normal key on the left will open only the lock that it goes to, but the skeleton key on the right will open any lock with this particular keyhole.
Two warded lock keys and a homemade skeleton key

A skeleton key (also known as a passkey[1]) is a type of master key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous locks,[2] most commonly the warded lock. The term derives from the fact that the key has been reduced to its essential parts.[2]

  1. ^ Steve (15 November 2020). "18 Different Types of Keys and Their Uses". Homenish. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (10th ed.). Glasgow: Collins. 2009. ISBN 978-0-00-729846-4.