keyhole vs lair

keyhole

noun
  • A mortise for a key or cotter. 

  • A gravitational keyhole. 

  • Any small opening resembling the hole for a key in shape or function. 

  • A hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key that fastens them. 

  • A transient column of vapor or plasma formed when using high energy beams, such as lasers, for welding or cutting. 

  • The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line; key. 

  • The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and turns. 

  • A circle cut out of a garment as a decorative effect, typically at the front or back neckline of a dress. 

  • A welding method in which a hole forms in the surface immediately ahead of the puddle in the direction of welding. The hole is filled as the weld progresses. 

verb
  • To strike a target after wobbling in flight so that the long axis of the bullet does not follow the line of flight, typically due to insufficient spin resulting from the rifling in the barrel. 

lair

noun
  • A grave; a cemetery plot. 

  • A place inhabited by a criminal or criminals, a superhero or a supervillain; a refuge, retreat, haven or hideaway. 

  • A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground. 

  • A shed or shelter for domestic animals. 

  • A bog; a mire. 

  • A person who dresses in a showy but tasteless manner and behaves in a vulgar and conceited way; a show-off. 

  • A bed or resting place. 

verb
  • To mire. 

  • To become mired. 

  • To lay down. 

  • To bury. 

  • To rest; to dwell. 

How often have the words keyhole and lair occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )