Latchkey

Quick meaning: Latchkey is a noun meaning A key, especially to an outside door.

Meaning

A key, especially to an outside door.

More Meanings

1. Ellipsis of latchkey kid.
2. Ellipsis of latchkey program.
3. Equipped with a key; generally in the phrase latchkey kid.
4. Pertaining to unsupervised children in afterschool care contexts.
5. (transitive) To open something by means of a latchkey.

Example Sentences

Latchkey is before and after school childcare for children who are in grades K-5.

When coded, it was found that 224 children were latchkey or bordering on latchkey status.

In fashionable Potomac, for instance, almost 50 percent of the nonparental care was latchkey.

Be available as a "safety net" for the parents, especially if both parents work and/or the child is latchkey.

Word Forms

• latchkeys
• latch key
• latch-key
• latchkeying
• latchkeyed

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include lockset, heck, gate, door, closure, lockbox.

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