The Meaning of keynote

• (n.) The tonic or first tone of the scale in which a piece or passage is written; the fundamental tone of the chord, to which all the modulations of the piece are referred; -- called also key tone.
• (n.) The fundamental fact or idea; that which gives the key; as, the keynote of a policy or a sermon.

Synonyms

tonic

Rhymes

afloat , anecdote , antidote , asymptote , bacote , banknote , banxquote , bloat , boat , capote , chipote , choat , choate , coat , connote , cote , creosote , cutthroat , demote , denote , devote , dote , ferryboat , flatboat , float , footnote , gloat , goat , groat , grote , gunboat , haute , hinote , houseboat , kote , lifeboat , misquote , moat , mote , motorboat , note , oat , outvote , overcoat , petticoat , pote , powerboat , promote , quote , raincoat , redcoat , remote , rewrote , roat , rote , rowboat , sailboat , scapegoat , shoat , shote , showboat , sloate , smote , speedboat , sproat , steamboat , stoat , terre-haute , throat , tote , towboat , tugboat , turncoat , uncoat , undercoat , underwrote , unquote , vogt , vote , wrote