Quick Definition
κλεῖς, κλειδός, ἡ n.f. a key
Strong's Definition
from 2808; a key (as shutting a lock), literally or figuratively
KJV Usage: key
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | κλειδός | κλείω
6.220 · Artifacts · Miscellaneous
key an instrument used for locking and unlocking doors and gates In rendering REV 9:1 it may not be possible to speak of ‘the key to the abyss,’ but rather ‘the key to the entrance to the abyss’ or ‘the key used in opening or closing the gate to the abyss.’
57.63 · Possess, Transfer, Exchange · Take, Obtain, Gain, Lose
the means of, the key to (a figurative extension of meaning of κλείς[a] ‘key,’ 6.220) a means of acquiring something One may also translate this expression in LUK 11:52 as ‘you have kept to yourselves the key to knowledge’ or ‘... the means by which one may gain understanding.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κλείς, -δός, ace. κλεῖδα and κλεῖν (LK. xi. 52; Rev. iii. 7), ace. plur. κλεῖδας and κλεῖς (Mt. xvi. 19; Rey. i. 18; ef. Kiihner § 130, i. p. 357; W. 65 (63), ef. B. 24 (22); [WH. App. p. 157]), ἡ, fr. Hom. down]; a@ key. Since the keeper of the keys has the power to open and to shut, the word κλείς is fig. used in the N. T. to denote power and authority of various kinds [cf. B. D.s. v. Key], viz. τοῦ φρέατος, to open or unlock the pit, Rev. ix. 1, cf. 2; τῆς ἀβύσσου, to shut, Rey. xx. 1, ef. 3; τοῦ θανάτου καὶ Tov ἅδου, the power to bring back into life from Hades and to leave there, Rev. i. 18; τῆς γνώσεως. the ability and opportunity to obtain knowledge, Lk. xi. 52; τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν (see βασιλεία, 3 6. p. 97
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κλείς kleis 6x
a key, used in NT as the symbol of power, authority, etc. Mt. 16:19; Rev. 1:18; 3:7; 9:1; 20:1; met. the key of entrance into knowledge, Lk. 11:52*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κλείς, -δός, Att.. acc., κλεῖν, later -εῖδα, pl., κλεῖδες, -ας, contr., -εῖς, ἡ,
[in LXX for מַפְתֵּחַ, Is 22:22, al.;]
a key. Fig., τ. βασιλείας τ. οὐρανῶν, Mt 16:19; τ. γνώσεως, Lk 11:52; of David (cf. LXX, Is 22:22), Re 3:7; τ. θανάτου κ. τ. ᾅδου, Re 1:18; τ. ἀβύσσου, Re 20:1; τ. φρέατος τῆς ἀ., Re 9:1.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κλείς. P Petr II. 39 (d)*® (accounts—iii/B.c.) κλειδοποιῷῴ τιμὴν κλειδῶν. For acc. sing. κλεῖδα, as in Lk Dre cheOxyale 113° (ii/A.D.) ἔπεμψά σοι διὰ ‘Op[lwv]o[s] τὴν κλεῖδα (cf. 16.185 μὴ δόξῃς με ἠμεληκότα τῆς κλειδός), and for acc. plur. κλεῖδας, as in Mt 161%, cf. CP Herm I. 81:5 λαβόντες τὰς κλῖδας τῶν θησζα]υρῶν, BGU I. 25318 (iii/a.p.) κλεῖδας ἐπιστήσομαι. On the other hand, for κλεῖν, as in Rev 37, 201, cf. P Oxy VIII. 112725 (a.p. 183) κλεῖν μίαν, and for κλεῖς, as in Rev 118, cf. 7. IV. 72978 (a.p. 137) ds ἂν παραλάβωσι θύρας καὶ κλεῖς, “any doors and keys they may have received,” a common phrase in leases: cf. P Lond 216°° (a.D. 94) (=II. p. 187) παραδόσθαι τὸν θ[η]σαυρὸν + . σὺν ταῖς ἐφεστώισαι[ς] θυραῖσι κ(αὶ) κλ[ςεῖῖσι. See further Mayser Gry. p. 272, Reinhold, p- 51. We can supply no good parallel to the figurative use of κλείς in the NT, but the κλειδὸς πομπή or dywy in honour of the goddess Hecate is perhaps worth recalling, when a priestess, known as the κλειδοφόρος, carried a golden key, the symbol of Hecate, in the solemn procession at Stratonicea ; see Spill 420" with the editor’s note, and BCH xi. (1887) ὩΣ 36f. A curious verbal correspondence to our phrase “having the power of the keys” may be seen in OG/S 229° (iii/B.c.) καὶ ἄρχοντα δὲ ὃν ἂν ἀποστέλληι ὁ δῆμος κυριεύσοντά τε τῶγ κλειδῶν καὶ ἐσόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς φυλακῆς τῆς πόλεως, with reference to the protection of the city of Smyrna. With Lk 11° cf. the new fragment of a lost gospel, P Oxy IV. 655% τὴν κλεῖδα τῆς [γνώσεως ἐἸκρύψ[ατε: αὐτοὶ οὐκ] εἰσήλ[θατε, καὶ τοῖς] εἰσερί χομένοις οὐ]κ ἀν[εῴξατε.... For the Ionic form κληΐς see Afichel 59491 αἱ. (Delos—s.c. 279), and for the dim. κλειδίον see BGU IIL. 7755“: (ii/a.p. ). The adj. κλειδοποιός occurs in P Oxy XII. 1518?" (ii/a.p.). MGr κλειδί, “key.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κλείς (kleis) — key. κλείς, ἡ, genitive κλειδός; Attic dialectaccusative κλεῖν, see.below 1.3, 111, later κλεῖδα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—Ionic dialect κληΐς [ῑ], κληῗδος, κληῗδα, etc. [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—Doric dialect κλᾱΐς, κλαΐδος [ῐ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; accusative κλαῖδα or κλᾷδα [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; compare κλᾴξ:—Aeolic dialect κλᾶϊς (κλαῖς codex)· μοχλός, [Refs 5th c.AD+]; κλάϊς accusative κλάϊν [Refs 5th c.AD+]:—old Attic dialect κλῄς, κλῇδος, accusative κλῇδα [Refs 5th c.BC+] in the same Attic dialect Inscription, [Refs] and 47. (κλᾱϝῑς, cf. Latin clavis, claudo.)
1. bar, bolt, θύρας σταθμοῖσιν ἐπῆρσε (i.e. Hera, from within) κληῗδι κρυπτῇ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ={ἐπιβλής}, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
2. catch or hook, passed through the door from the outside to catch the strap (ἱμάς) attached to the bar (ὀχεύς), ἐν δὲ κληῗδ᾽ ἧκε, θυρέων δ᾽ ἀνέκοπτεν ὀχῆας ἄντα τιτυσκομένη [Refs 8th c.BC+]
3. later, key, τὴν κλεῖν ἐφέλκεται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κλεῖν παρακλείδιον a false key, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of a sacred key carried in processions, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
4. metaphorically, Ἁσυχία βουλᾶν τε καὶ πολέμων ἔχοισα κλαῗδας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔστι κἀμοὶ κλῂς ἐπὶ γλώσσῃ, of silence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κλῇδας γάμου φυλάττει, of Hera, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the key to a problem, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II. hook or tongue of a clasp, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.2. stop-cock, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
III. collar-bone, probably so called from its hook shape (see.[Refs 8th c.BC+]; κλεῖδες ὀπταί roast shoulder-bones of the tunny (with play on [Refs]visible keys, opposed to κρυπταὶ κλεῖδες of the Laconians), [Refs 4th c.BC+]
IV. rowing bench in a ship, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+] always in plural; ἐπὶ κληῗσι καθίζειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]
V. of promontories, straits, etc., Κληῗδες or Κληΐδες τῆς Κύπρου [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πόντου κλῇδ᾽, of the Bosporus, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
VI. in plural, sacred chaplets, [Refs 5th c.AD+]
VII. in versification, clausula, cadence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]