air lock
Definition of air lock
1 : an intermediate chamber with two airtight doors or openings to permit passage between two dissimilar spaces (such as two places of unequal atmospheric pressure)
2 : a stoppage of flow caused by air being in a part where liquid ought to circulate
From the M-W Editors
First Known Use of air lock
1840
AIR LOCK Defined for English Language Learners
air lock
Definition of air lock for English Language Learners
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: a small room that has two doors which can be sealed tightly so that no air enters or leaves and that is used for moving between two spaces with different air pressures in a submarine, spaceship, etc.
Learn More about air lock
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See words that rhyme with air lock Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about air lock
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