Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "latchkey" []

  • A key for opening a latch or lock, especially one on an outside door. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "latchkey" in a sentence
  • "When baby boomers were raising kids they invented the term latchkey kid and yuppie; we invented the terms shared care and stay-at-home-dad."
  • "What they call latchkey now, but they didn't have a name for it back then."
  • "Alex comes with a "latchkey" - a USB stick without which the laptop won't operate."