Keybearer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who carries or is entrusted with a key, especially to a building, vault, or other secured place
2. Someone who holds a key and is responsible for unlocking or keeping access to a secured location
3. The individual in possession of a key, typically one authorized to open a door, safe, or restricted area

Etymology: Keybearer is a plain English compound: "key" plus "bearer," someone who carries a key. The first element traces back to Old English "cǣg," which is also the ancestor of modern "key," and "bear" comes from Old English "beran," meaning to carry or hold. The compound is transparent in the way many English job titles are, and it has been used for centuries in its literal sense: a person entrusted with the keys to a building, a city, or a treasury. In later usage it became a common term for anyone responsible for holding access to something, such as the keyholder of a shop who opens it each morning.

Synonyms: keyholder, custodian, keeper