lock
3lock
verbDefinition of LOCK
transitive verb
1
a : to fasten the lock of b : to make fast with or as if with a lock <lock up the house>
2
a : to fasten in or out or to make secure or inaccessible by or as if by means of locks <locked himself away from the curious world> b : to fix in a particular situation or method of operation <a team firmly locked in last place>
3
a : to make fast, motionless, or inflexible especially by the interlacing or interlocking of parts <lock wheels> <lock a knee> b : to hold in a close embrace c : to grapple in combat; also : to bind closely <administration and students were locked in conflict>
4
: to invest (capital) without assurance of easy convertibility into money
5
: to move or permit to pass (as a ship) by raising or lowering in a lock
intransitive verb
1
a : to become locked b : to be capable of being locked
3
: to go or pass by means of a lock (as in a canal)
— lock·able \ˈlä-kə-bəl\ adjective
— lock horns
: to come into conflict
— lock on or lock onto
: to acquire (as a target or signal) automatically using a sensor (as radar)
Examples of LOCK
- They locked the door when they left and unlocked it when they returned.
- She locked the bicycle to the railing with a chain.
- He forgot to lock the car.
- The car locks automatically when you start the engine.
- The wheels locked and the car skidded off the road.
- They were locked in each other's arms.
- She locked her hands around the steering wheel.
- The file is locked for editing.
First Known Use of LOCK
14th century
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