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key·note

(kēnōt′)

1. The tonic of a musical key.

2. A prime underlying element or theme: "The keynote of the revolution settlement was personal freedom under the law" (G.M. Trevelyan).

tr.v. key·not·ed, key·not·ing, key·notes

1. To give or set the keynote of.

2. Informal To give a keynote address at: keynoted the press luncheon.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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