A skeleton key (also known as a passingkey) is either a key that has been altered in such a way as to bypass the wards placed inside a warded lock, or a card that contains information necessary to open locks for a certain area like a hotel etc., or an American term for a lever or "bit" type key. The term derives from the fact that the key has been reduced to its essential parts.
The term "skeleton key", in a more general sense, is also sometimes used in reference to key or similar object capable of opening any lock regardless of make or type. The term refers to the skeletal structure which can bypass all locks. The term is also often misapplied to refer to any antique key.
Read more about Skeleton Key: Warded Locks, Lever Lock Keys, Basketball Analogy, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words skeleton and/or key:
“that skeleton wearing his bones like a broiler,
or his righteousness like a swastika.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“You have many choices. You can choose forgiveness over revenge, joy over despair. You can choose action over apathy.... You hold the key to how well you make the emotional adjustment to your divorce and consequently how well your children will adapt.”
—Stephanie Marston (20th century)