keystone definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

key·stone [ k stn ] (plural key·stones)

noun

Definition:

1. central stone in arch: the wedge-shaped stone at the highest point of an arch that locks the others in place

2. supporting element: something on which other interrelated things depend

Alliances are the keystone of a country's security.

Cultural Note


	The Keystone Kops, a group of comic characters who appeared in a number of silent movies (1880-1960) by Mack Sennett. A bumbling police squad dressed in oversized uniforms, the Kops usually featured in slapstick chase sequences characterized by superb sight gags and acrobatic stunts.