What is the difference between legend and key?

legend | key |

As nouns the difference between legend and key is that legend is a story of unknown origin describing plausible but extraordinary past events while key is an object designed to open and close a lock or key can be one of a string of small islands.

As verbs the difference between legend and key is that legend is (archaic|transitive) to tell or narrate; to recount while key is to fit (a lock) with a key.

As a adjective key is indispensable, supremely important.

Other Comparisons: What's the difference?

Legend vs Keys

legend

English

(wikipedia legend)

Noun

(en noun)

A story of unknown origin describing plausible but extraordinary past events.

The legend of Troy was discovered to have historical basis. 

A story in which a kernel of truth is embellished to an unlikely degree.

The 1984 Rose Bowl prank has spawned many legends . Here's the real story. 

A leading protagonist in a historical legend.

Achilles is a legend in Greek culture. 

A person of extraordinary accomplishment.

Michael Jordan stands as a legend in basketball. 

A key to the symbols and color codes on a map, chart, etc.

According to the legend on the map, that building is a school. 

An inscription, motto, or title, especially one surrounding the field in a medal or coin, or placed upon a heraldic shield or beneath an engraving or illustration.

A fabricated backstory for a spy, with associated documents and records; a cover story.

According to his legend , he once worked for the Red Cross, spreading humanitarian aid in Africa. 

• 1992 , edition, ISBN 067173458X, page 115:

  If the documents are needed to establish "a light legend ," meaning a superficial cover story, no steps are taken to make sure that if someone calls the college or motor vehicle department, the name on the document will be registered.

• 2003 , Rodney Carlisle, , ISBN 0028644182, page 105:

  Sorge solidified his own position by returning to Germany and developing a new legend . He joined the Nazi Party.

• 2005 , , ISBN 1591146607, page 25:

  Both the agent's legend and documents were intended to stand up against casual questions from Soviet citizens, such as during a job interview, or a routine police document check, such as were made at railway stations.

(UK, Irish, Australia, New Zealand, colloquial, slang) A cool, nice or helpful person, especially one who is male.

I've lost my pen! —Here mate, borrow mine. —You legend . 

Synonyms

* (story of unknown origin) myth * (story embellished to become implausible) myth, tall tale * (leading protagonist) hero * (person of extraordinary accomplishment) hero * (key to symbols on a map or chart) guide, key * (text on a coin) inscription * (fabricated backstory for a spy) cover, cover story * (worthy friend) brick

Derived terms

* campus legend * legend in one's own lunchtime * legend in one's own mind * legend in one's own time * living legend * urban legend

Related terms

* lege * legendary

Verb

(en verb)

(archaic) To tell or narrate; to recount.

(Bishop Hall) 

External links

* * ----

key

English

Noun

(en noun)

An object designed to open and close a lock.

* , chapter=13

, title= "Mr. Pratt's Patients" , passage=We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time. 'Twas locked, of course, but the Deacon man got a big bunch of keys out of his pocket and commenced to putter with the lock.}}

An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.

A crucial step or requirement.

• (John Locke) (1632-1705)

  Those who are accustomed to reason have got the true key of books.

• (1809-1892)

  who keeps the keys of all the creeds

A guide explaining the symbols or terminology of a map or chart; a legend.

A guide to the correct answers of a worksheet or test.

(label) One of several small, usually square buttons on a typewriter or computer keyboard, mostly corresponding to text characters.

(label) One of a number of rectangular moving parts on a piano or musical keyboard, each causing a particular sound or note to be produced.

(label) One of various levers on a musical instrument used to select notes, such as a lever opening a hole on a woodwind.

(label) A hierarchical scale of musical notes on which a composition is based.

• 1881 , R.L. Stevenson, :

  A girl, it is true, has always lived in a glass house among reproving relatives, whose word was law; she has been bred up to sacrifice her judgments and take the key submissively from dear papa; and it is wonderful how swiftly she can change her tune into the husband's.

(label) The general pitch or tone of a sentence or utterance.

* (William Cowper) (1731-1800)

You fall at once into a lower key . 

(label) An indehiscent, one-seeded fruit furnished with a wing, such as the fruit of the ash and maple; a samara.

(label) A manual electrical switching device primarily used for the transmission of Morse code.

(label) A piece of information (e.g. a passphrase) used to encode or decode a message or messages.

(label) A password restricting access to an IRC channel.

* 2000 , "Robert Erdec", Re: Help; mIRC32; unable to resolve server arnes.si'' (on newsgroup ''alt.irc.mirc )

if you know someone who is in the channel, you can query them and ask for the key . 

(label) In a relational database, a field used as an index into another table (not necessarily unique).

(label) A value that uniquely identifies an entry in an associative array.

(label) The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line, the free-throw lane having formerly been narrower, giving the area the shape of a skeleton key hole.

(label) A series of logically organized groups of discriminating information which aims to allow the user to correctly identify a taxon.

(label) Kilogram (though this is more commonly shortened to kay ).

* 2010 , David J. Silas, Da Block (page 41)

So starting with ten keys' of cocaine and two ' keys of heroin, Derrick put his plan in motion. Soon every major drug dealer and gang chief from Chicago Avenue to Evanston was in his pocket. 

(label) A piece of wood used as a wedge.

(label) The last board of a floor when laid down.

(label) A keystone.

That part of the plastering which is forced through between the laths and holds the rest in place.

(rail transport) A wooden support for a rail on the bullhead rail system.

(label) The object used to open or close a lock, often used as a heraldic charge.