keyboards

n. panel of keys by which a machine is operated (as in a computer, typewriter, etc.); row of keys of a musical instrument (as in a piano, accordion, etc.)

"Keyboards" redirects here. For other uses of the word, see Keyboard. A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano, which is used in nearly all forms of western music. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments. In common language, it is mostly used to refer to keyboard-style synthesizers.
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Noun
1. device consisting of a set of keys on a piano or organ or typewriter or typesetting machine or computer or the like
(hypernym) device
(hyponym) computer keyboard, keypad
(part-holonym) piano, pianoforte, forte-piano
(member-meronym) key
(part-meronym) action, action mechanism
2. holder consisting of an arrangement of hooks on which keys or locks can be hung
(hypernym) holder

n. keyboard, panel of keys by which a machine is operated; row of keys of a musical instrument

<hardware> A hardware device consisting of a number of mechanical buttons (keys) which the user presses to input characters to a computer.
Keyboards were originally part of terminals which were separate peripheral devices that performed both input and output and communicated with the computer via a serial line. Today a keyboard is more likely to be connected more directly to the processor, allowing the processor to scan it and detect which key or keys are currently pressed. Pressing a key sends a low-level key code to the keyboard input driver routine which translates this to one or more characters or special actions.
Keyboards vary in the keys they have, most have keys to generate the ASCII character set as well as various function keys and special purpose keys, e.g. reset or volume control.
(2003-07-04)