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keyboard

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A device with many buttons like on a piano, computer, or typewriter

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

keebawrd

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈkibɔɹd

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. music

    Device consisting of a set of keys on a piano or organ or typewriter or typesetting machine or computer or the like

  2. music

    A component of many instruments, including the piano, organ, and harpsichord, consisting of usually black and white keys that cause different tones to be produced when struck.

  3. computingetc.

    A set of keys laid out in a grid-like pattern, used for typing on a typewriter, computer etc.

verb

  1. intransitive

    To type on a computer keyboard.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Device consisting of a set of keys on a piano or organ or typewriter or typesetting machine or computer or the like

Used this way, keyboard is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a computing use: it carries a fixed technical meaning inside software and systems work.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Specialist/technical
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Specialized
Connotation
Clinical and technical
Usage feel
Technical and specialized

Where it naturally appears

  • Technology
  • Technical/specialist writing
  • Business/professional

Usage note

In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use keyboard

  • “My old computer keyboard is starting to stick and needs cleaning.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Set / device

computer keyboardkeyboard instrumentpiano keyboardtypewriter keyboardkeyboard musickeyboard input

Other combinations

keyboard shortcutkeyboard player

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • keyboard buffernounCompound term

    A buffer that keeps track of key strokes until the computer is ready to respond to them.

  • keyboard instrumentnounCompound term

    A musical instrument that is played by means of a keyboard.

  • piano keyboardnounCompound term

    A bank of keys on a musical instrument.

  • qwerty keyboardnounCompound term

    The standard typewriter keyboard.

  • computer keyboardnounCompound term

    A keyboard that is a data input device for computers.

  • typewriter keyboardnounCompound term

    A keyboard for manually entering characters to be printed.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.