wedlock

wed·lock

noun \ˈwed-ˌläk\

: the state of being married

Full Definition of WEDLOCK

:  the state of being married :  marriage, matrimony

— out of wedlock

:  with the natural parents not legally married to each other

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Examples of WEDLOCK

1. <joined the happy couple in holy wedlock>

Origin of WEDLOCK

Middle English wedlok, from Old English wedlāc marriage bond, from wedd pledge + -lāc, suffix denoting activity

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to WEDLOCK

Synonyms

conjugality, connubiality, match, matrimony, marriage

Related Words

monogamy; bigamy, polyandry, polygamy, polygyny; intermarriage, miscegenation, mixed marriage, remarriage; cohabitation, common-law marriage; civil union, domestic partnership; attachment, commitment, relationship; betrothal, engagement, espousal, hand, pledge, promise, proposal, troth

Near Antonyms

annulment, divorce, separation

Rhymes with WEDLOCK

acock, ad hoc, air lock, alt-rock, amok, armlock, art-rock, backblock, ball cock, Balzac, bangkok, Bangkok, baroque, Bartók, bawcock, bedrock, bemock, bitstock, blackcock, blesbok, bloodstock, breechblock, burdock, buttstock, caprock, coldcock, crew sock, deadlock, defrock, dreadlock, dry dock, Dvořák, earlock, elflock, en bloc, epoch, fatstock, feedstock, fetlock, firelock, flintlock, forelock, foreshock, gamecock, gemsbok, gridlock, half cock, hard rock, havelock, haycock, headlock, headstock, heart block, hemlock, in stock, Iraq, jazz-rock, Kanak, Kazak, Kazakh, kapok, kneesock, Ladakh, Laubach, livestock, lovelock, matchlock, Mohock, Moloch, nostoc, o'clock, oarlock, padlock, peacock, penstock, petcock, pibroch, picklock, post hoc, punk rock, rhebok, rimrock, roadblock, rootstock, Rostock, rowlock, scalp lock, Schirach, seed stock, shamrock, Sheetrock, shell shock, sherlock, Ship Rock, shock jock, shot clock, shylock, Sirach, slickrock, Slovak, smock frock, snatch block, soft rock, springbok, steenbok, stopcock, sunblock, swage block, ticktock, time clock, time lock, traprock, unblock, uncock, undock, van Gogh, wall rock, warlock, wheel lock, whipstock, woodblock, woodcock, wristlock, zwieback