Dictionary

latchkey en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈlæt͡ʃˌki/ (General-American)

Etymology

From latch + key.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Pertaining to unsupervised children in afterschool care contexts.
   • In fashionable Potomac, for instance, almost 50 percent of the nonparental care was latchkey. 1985, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1986: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Ninety-ninth Congress, First Session, page 7:
   • Be available as a "safety net" for the parents, especially if both parents work and/or the child is latchkey. 1994, Irene Endicott, Grandparenting by Grace: A Guide Through the Joys and Struggles, →ISBN:
   • When coded, it was found that 224 children were latchkey or bordering on latchkey status. 1994, Themba Sono, African Family and Marriage Under Stress:

Forms

Deriveds

latchkey program · latchkey kid · latchkey child

latchkey en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈlæt͡ʃˌki/ (General-American)

Etymology

From latch + key.

Meanings

1. A key, especially to an outside door.
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of latchkey kid.
   alt of latchkey kid
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of latchkey program.
   alt of latchkey program
   • Latchkey is an elementary school-age childcare program that provides care and education for children of working parents. This program is designed to be a link between the home and the school. 2025, “Archived copy”, in Columbus City Schools, archived from the original on 10 Sep 2025:
   • Latchkey is a before and after school, school-aged child care program designed to provide quality care and program activities for children in grades K-5. 2025, Challenger Elementary School:
   • Latchkey is before and after school childcare for children who are in grades K-5. 2025, East China School District:
   • There is NO Latchkey on days when the schools are closed, including emergency or snow days. There is no Latchkey in the mornings only on DELAYED start days. 2025, Marlington Local Schools:

Forms

Synonyms

check key

Translations (4)

eo klinka ŝlosilo (key) · fr clef de la porte d'entrée (key) · fr clef (key) · es llavín (key)

latchkey en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈlæt͡ʃˌki/ (General-American)

Etymology

From latch + key.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To open something by means of a latchkey.

Forms