lock 1 (l k)n.1. A device operated by a key, combination, or keycard and used, as on a door, for holding, closing, or securing. 2. A section of a waterway, such as a canal, closed off with gates, in which vessels in transit are raised or lowered by raising or lowering the water level of that section. 3. A mechanism in a firearm for exploding the charge. 4. An interlocking or entanglement of elements or parts. 5. a. Sports A hold in wrestling or self-defense that is secured on a part of an opponent's body. b. A secure hold; control: The distributor has a lock on most of the market. c. A sure thing; a certainty: His promotion is a lock. v. locked, lock·ing, locks v.tr.1. a. To fasten the lock of: close and lock a drawer. b. To shut or make secure with or as if with locks: locked the house. 2. To confine or exclude by or as if by means of a lock: locked the dog in for the night; locked the criminal up in a cell. 3. To fix in place so that movement or escape is impossible; hold fast: The ship was locked in the ice through the winter. She felt that she had become locked into a binding agreement. 4. a. To sight and follow (a moving target) automatically: locked the enemy fighter in the gun sights. b. To aim (a weapon or other device) at a moving target so as to follow it automatically: "The pilot had locked his targeting radar on the slow-moving frigate" Ed Magnuson. 5. To engage and interlock securely so as to be immobile. 6. To clasp or link firmly; intertwine: locked arms and walked away. 7. To bind in close struggle or battle: The two dogs were locked in combat. 8. a. To equip (a waterway) with locks. b. To pass (a vessel) through a lock. 9. Printing a. To secure (letterpress type) in a chase or press bed by tightening the quoins. b. To fasten (a curved plate) to the cylinder of a rotary press. 10. To invest (funds) in such a way that they cannot easily be converted into cash. 11. Computer Science a. To end the processing of (a magnetic tape or disk) in such a way as to deny access to its contents. b. To protect (a file) from changes or deletion. v.intr.1. To become fastened by or as if by means of a lock: The door locks automatically when shut. 2. To become entangled; interlock. 3. To become rigid or immobile: The mechanism tends to lock in cold weather. 4. To pass through a lock or locks in a waterway. Phrasal Verb: lock out To withhold work from (employees) during a labor dispute. Idioms: lock horns To become embroiled in conflict. lock, stock, and barrel To the greatest or most complete extent; wholly: an estate that was auctioned off lock, stock, and barrel. under lock and key Securely locked up.
[Middle English, from Old English loc, bolt, bar.]
lock a·ble adj. | lock1 pin-tumbler cylinder lock |
lock 1 Noun 1. a device for fastening a door, drawer, lid, etc., and preventing unauthorized access 2. a section of a canal or river closed off by gates between which the water level can be altered to aid boats moving from one level to the next 3. Brit & NZ the extent to which a vehicle's front wheels will turn: they adopted more steering lock 4. the interlocking of parts 5. a mechanism that fires a gun 6. lock, stock, and barrel completely; entirely 7. a wrestling hold 8. Also called: (lock forward) Rugby a player in the second row of the scrum Verb 1. to fasten or become fastened to prevent entry or exit 2. to secure (a building) by locking all doors and windows 3. to fix or become fixed together securely 4. to become or cause to become immovable: just before your knees lock 5. to clasp or entangle in a struggle or embrace
lock 2 Noun 1. a strand or curl of hair 2. locks Chiefly literary hair [Old English loc]
Lock a handful, armful, or small bundle; locks of hair on the head, collectively.Examples: lock of bacon, 1843; of cover, 1847; of corn, 1629; of cotton, 1849; of flax, 1673; of grass, 1661; of hair, 1526; of ham; of hay, 1575; of lightning, 1850; of money, 1804; of straw, 1563; of tar, 1823; of wheat, 1827; of wool, 1463.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  lock - a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closeddeadbolt, bolt - the part of a lock that is engaged or withdrawn with a key combination lock - lock that can be opened only by turning dials in a special sequence cylinder lock - a lock in which a cylinder rotates to move a bolt; tumblers are pins; inserting the key lifts and aligns the pins to free the cylinder to rotate door - a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle; "he knocked on the door"; "he slammed the door as he left" drawer - a boxlike container in a piece of furniture; made so as to slide in and out gate - a movable barrier in a fence or wall keyhole - the hole where a key is inserted door latch, latch - spring-loaded doorlock that can only be opened from the outside with a key lever lock - a lock whose tumblers are levers that must be raised to a given position so that the bolt can move lid - a movable top or cover (hinged or separate) for closing the opening at the top of a box, chest, jar, pan, etc.; "he raised the piano lid" padlock - a detachable lock; has a hinged shackle that can be passed through the staple of a hasp or the links in a chain and then snapped shut tumbler - a movable obstruction in a lock that must be adjusted to a given position (as by a key) before the bolt can be thrown | | 2. |  lock - a strand or cluster of hairhair - a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss; "he combed his hair"; "each hair consists of layers of dead keratinized cells" forelock - a lock of hair growing (or falling) over the forehead crimp - a lock of hair that has been artificially waved or curled dreadlock - one of many long thin braids of hair radiating from the scalp; popularized by Rastafarians | | 3. | lock - a mechanism that detonates the charge of a gunmechanism - device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function | | 4. |  lock - enclosure consisting of a section of canal that can be closed to control the water level; used to raise or lower vessels that pass through itcanal - long and narrow strip of water made for boats or for irrigation enclosure - a structure consisting of an area that has been enclosed for some purpose | | 5. | lock - a restraint incorporated into the ignition switch to prevent the use of a vehicle by persons who do not have the keyignition switch - switch that operates a solenoid that closes a circuit to operate the starter constraint, restraint - a device that retards something's motion; "the car did not have proper restraints fitted" | | 6. | lock - any wrestling hold in which some part of the opponent's body is twisted or pressuredhammerlock - a wrestling hold in which the opponent's arm is twisted up behind his back headlock - a wrestling hold in which the opponent's head is locked between the crook of your elbow and the side of your body | | Verb | 1. | lock - fasten with a lock; "lock the bike to the fence"fasten, fix, secure - cause to be firmly attached; "fasten the lock onto the door"; "she fixed her gaze on the man" bolt - secure or lock with a bolt; "bolt the door" lock up - secure by locking; "lock up the house before you go on vacation" unlock - become unlocked; "The door unlocked from the inside" unlock - open the lock of; "unlock the door" | | 2. | lock - keep engaged; "engaged the gears"flip, switch, throw - cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation; "switch on the light"; "throw the lever" ride - keep partially engaged by slightly depressing a pedal with the foot; "Don't ride the clutch!" move, displace - cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense; "Move those boxes into the corner, please"; "I'm moving my money to another bank"; "The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant" | | 3. | lock - become rigid or immoveable; "The therapist noticed that the patient's knees tended to lock in this exercise"engage - get caught; "make sure the gear is engaged" unlock - become unlocked; "The door unlocked from the inside" | | 4. | lock - hold in a locking position; "He locked his hands around her neck"hold, take hold - have or hold in one's hands or grip; "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of him" | | 5. | lock - become engaged or intermeshed with one another; "They were locked in embrace"hug, bosom, embrace, squeeze - squeeze (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness; "Hug me, please"; "They embraced"; "He hugged her close to him" | | 6. | lock - hold fast (in a certain state); "He was locked in a laughing fit" | | 7. | lock - place in a place where something cannot be removed or someone cannot escape; "The parents locked her daughter up for the weekend"; "She locked her jewels in the safe"confine - prevent from leaving or from being removed | | 8. | lock - pass by means through a lock in a waterwaygo across, pass, go through - go across or through; "We passed the point where the police car had parked"; "A terrible thought went through his mind" | | 9. | lock - build locks in order to facilitate the navigation of vesselsbuild, construct, make - make by combining materials and parts; "this little pig made his house out of straw"; "Some eccentric constructed an electric brassiere warmer" |
lock 1
lock 2  Translations lock [lɔk] n [ of door, box] → cerradura, chapa (LAM) [ of canal] → esclusa; [ of hair] → mechón mvi [ door etc] → cerrarse con llave; [ wheels] → trabarse;
 lock [lɔk] n [ of door, box] → serrure f [ of canal]; écluse f [ of hair]; mèche f, boucle flock stock and barrel ( fig) → en bloc; ( on purpose) → mettre à la porte: [+ workers]; lock-outer
 lock [lɔk] n [ of door etc] → Schloss nt; (also: lock of hair) → Locke fon full lock ( Aut) → voll eingeschlagen; his jaw locked → er hatte Mundsperre
 lock [lɔk] n [ of door, box] → serratura; [ of canal] → chiusa; [ of hair] → ciocca, ricciovi [door etc] → chiudersi; [wheels] → bloccarsi, incepparsi; lock stock and barrel ( fig) → in blocco;
|
|
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
lock
