keying, vbl. n.
(ˈkiːɪŋ)
[f. key n.1 and v.]
1. The action of the verb key in various senses.
| 1596–7 in Swayne Sarum Church-w. Acc. 302 One Chiboll for his labo{supr} for the keyinge of a bell, 6d. 1862 G. P. Scrope Volcanos 290 The ‘keying’ of their flexures by the intrusion of molten matter from beneath, and its consolidation there. 1878 M. Stokes Early Chr. Archit. Irel. 10 Finished at the top by selecting a thicker or thinner stone, as the case might require, for keying. 1918 W. H. Eccles Wireless Telegr. (ed. 2) 247 When the high voltage in the repeat side does not exceed 100 or 200 volts it is easy to interrupt that circuit by aid of a morse key. Other suggestions for keying will be found in the section on Wireless Telegraphy. 1931 L. B. Turner Wireless v. 131 To start a Poulsen arc it must be struck... In keying, therefore, the oscillation cannot be started and stopped as in a spark transmitter. Instead, the Morse key—or..the set of relay contacts controlled by the key—is made to alter the wavelength slightly. 1966 S. Stein in M. Schwartz et al. Communication Syst. & Techniques vii. 280 With rectangular modulation, the states are described by which of a pair of possible frequencies is transmitted. The system is commonly known as frequency-shift keying (FSK). Phase-shift keying (PSK) is the analog of phase modulation. |
† 2. Stone-work serving as the key of an arch. Obs. rare—1.
| 1483 Churchw. Acc. St. Mary hill, London (Nichols 1797) 97 Keyenge of a gate of ston 8 fote of heyghte withynne boght of William Gemet mason. |