padlock

noun

pad·​lock ˈpad-ˌläk 

: a removable lock with a shackle that can be passed through a staple or link and then secured

padlock transitive verb

Examples of padlock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

View gallery - 3 images Finding a human body buried with a sickle around their neck and a padlock around their big toe isn’t exactly common fare. — Mike McRae 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026

While padlocks have been found at Jewish cemeteries in Poland, the study authors noted the site carried no other characteristic features suggesting this was a Jewish grave. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

One of the more memorable instances finds Cole grabbing an open padlock off a door and using it to belt an opponent across the face before hooking the shackle into the dude’s mouth and using it to rip open his cheek. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026

Months of dust lined the doorjamb, and the dead bolt was dull, but the padlock hanging from it was new. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English padlok, from pad- (of unknown origin) + lok lock

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for padlock

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk

Kids Definition

padlock

noun

pad·​lock ˈpad-ˌläk 

: a removable lock with a curved piece that snaps into a catch

padlock verb