keyholder

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person who has a key to a building or safe, especially as part of their job.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a keyholder' or 'keyholders'. Often used with 'the' when talking about a specific person responsible for a place.

   Patterns

   • keyholder for something
   • keyholder of something
   • be a keyholder

   The manager is the keyholder for the shop, so she opens and locks up every day.

   If you lose your keys, ask the keyholder to let you in.

   As the keyholder of the office, he is responsible for setting the alarm.

2. 2nouncountable

   A small object used to keep keys together, such as a ring or clip.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a keyholder' or 'keyholders'. Often used for a decorative or practical item you buy.

   Patterns

   • a keyholder for keys
   • on a keyholder

   She bought a leather keyholder to keep her car and house keys together.

   He attached the new key to his keyholder so he wouldn't lose it.

   The keyholder broke, so all the keys fell out of my bag.

Word forms

Common combinations

designated keyholder

The designated keyholder must be contacted in an emergency.

office keyholder

The office keyholder arrives early to unlock the doors.

spare keyholder

We keep a spare keyholder in the drawer for visitors.

keyholder responsibilities

His keyholder responsibilities include checking the building at night.

Synonyms and how they differ

key ring

Usually refers only to the object for keeping keys together, not to a person who holds a key.

caretaker

A person who looks after a building and often holds keys, but the job includes many other duties.

Word family

key noun

A small metal object used to open a lock.

keyholding noun

The job or activity of being a keyholder, especially for a building.

Commonly confused: keyholder or key ring?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “keyholder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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