lock

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈläk 

1

a

: a tuft, tress, or ringlet of hair

Marie … turned to pin up a lock of hair that had fallen on her neck.

—Willa Cather

b

locks plural : the hair of the head

… if your locks are lank, … skip the conditioner.

—Parenting

c(1)

often loc plural locs : a narrow ropelike strand of hair formed by matting, braiding, or twisting : dreadlock sense 1

According to Brooklyn stylist Derrick Scurry, there are several ways to save your dreadlock. For locks broken at the root, wait for hair to grow long enough to braid. Then have your stylist attach the lost lock to the braid with thread so you can't tell where the braid ends and where the lock begins.

—Essence

If palm rolling and twisting seem similar, it's because they are. But instead of twisting with your fingers to create a loc, you roll the section of hair between your palms, a technique that helps give more control over the size and shape of the loc.

—Sami Roberts

(2)

locs or locks plural : a hairstyle consisting of locks : dreadlocks

Dreadlocks, dreads, locks, locs—whatever your term of choice for them may be …

—Taylor Bryant

Some people simply stop combing through their hair in order to form "freeform" locs, which tend to vary greatly in size. Many others prefer a more cultivated look, with neat, even partings throughout, and a uniform size to each unit.

—Del Sandeen

The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, which was introduced by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), prohibits denying employment or educational opportunities to a person based on their hairstyle or texture. The law includes styles such as locs, cornrows, … and Afros.

—Angela Johnson

For Michael Calhoun of DeKalb, his locks are more than just a hairstyle. "It's a way of life," he said. Calhoun … said the preferred term for his chosen style the past decade isn't dreadlocks, it's "locks" because dread carries a negative connotation.

—Katie Finlon

2

: a cohering bunch (as of wool, cotton, or flax) : tuft

lock

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

a

: a fastening (as for a door) operated by a key or a combination

b

: the mechanism for exploding the charge or cartridge of a firearm

2

a

: an enclosure (as in a canal) with gates at each end used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from level to level

b

: air lock

3

a

: a locking or fastening together

b

: an intricate mass of objects impeding each other (as in a traffic jam)

c

: a hold in wrestling secured on one part of the body

broadly : a controlling hold

his paper … had a lock on a large part of the state

—John Corry

4

: one that is assured of success or favorable outcome

lock

3 of 3

verb

locked; locking; locks

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 (something, such as a ship) by raising or lowering in a lock

intransitive verb

1

a

: to become locked

b

: to be capable of being locked

2

: interlace, interlock

3

: to go or pass by means of a lock (as in a canal)

lockable

ˈlä-kə-bəl 

adjective

Phrases

lock horns

: to come into conflict

lock on or lock onto

: to acquire (something, such as a target or signal) automatically using a sensor (such as radar)

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• cinch
• shoo-in
• slam dunk
• sure thing

Examples of lock in a Sentence

Verb

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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As part of the initiative, the agency installed over 10,000 mail collection boxes upgraded with additional security features, Martel said, and 6,500 additional electronic locks. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 1 Dec. 2023

Tapestry locks in prices on certain input costs, and sets prices accordingly, Roe said. —Kristin Broughton, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023

Renaissance men would drape a lock of hair over their heart and tie a ribbon around the end to signify they had been claimed, explains fashion historian Serena Dyer. —Alice Robb, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2023

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have got this whole supportive couple thing on lock. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Nov. 2023

The host hopes to keep the figure-four leg locks and piledrivers to a minimum. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Nov. 2023

Wirecutter has plenty of recommendations, from which bike to buy to the best bike locks. —Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023

But the craziest thing of all would have been the simple reality that OpenAI, literally formed to thwart companies like Microsoft from dominating AI technology, would have delivered its elite talent—lock, stock, and data set—into the hands of a multitrillion-dollar giant. —Steven Levy, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023

The knobs are large and easy to use, and there’s a child lock function, too, for extra safety. —Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023

Verb

In Sweden, Tesla has for more than a month been locked in a dispute with labor unions after the carmaker refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement. —Christian Wienberg, Fortune Europe, 5 Dec. 2023

But for people who want to sell their gold to lock in today's record prices, the effort can be somewhat trickier, experts note. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2023

Getty Images The highest mortgage rates in a generation and ever-rising home prices are conspiring to lock millennials out of homeownership, but the daunting state of the housing market hasn’t hurt their determination to break in—so far. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023

In a solar system 100 light years away, six planets are locked into a precise dance. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Dec. 2023

Sure, Newsom is locked in as a dedicated Biden surrogate, loyally defending the president and promoting his reelection. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2023

Compared to celebs who are happy to lock feet in public and personalize song lyrics on stage, Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song are definitely one of Hollywood’s more low-key couples. —Vulture, 1 Dec. 2023

The key is to not lock yourself into unfavorable cost structures now at peak prices that will be highly disadvantageous in future years. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

With the first signing period looming in three weeks, the Buffs as of late Tuesday afternoon had reportedly locked down just nine commits, per the 247Sports.com database. —Sean Keeler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English lok, from Old English locc; akin to Old High German loc lock, Greek lygos withe, Latin luxus dislocated

Noun (2)

Middle English lok, from Old English loc; akin to Old High German loh enclosure and perhaps to Old English locc lock of hair

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing lock

• air lock
• caps lock
• have a lock on
• lip-lock
• under lock and key
• pick a lock
• lock, stock, and barrel
• on full lock
• lock screen
• mortise lock
• lock out
• lock one's knee
• lock-in
• wheel lock
• time lock
• combination lock
• lock away
• scalp lock
• vapor lock
• lock horns
• lock on
• lock onto

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• air lock
• caps lock
• have a lock on
• lip-lock
• under lock and key
• pick a lock
• lock, stock, and barrel
• on full lock
• lock screen
• mortise lock
• lock out
• lock one's knee
• lock-in
• wheel lock
• time lock
• combination lock
• lock away
• scalp lock
• vapor lock
• lock horns
• lock on
• lock onto

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Kids Definition

lock

1 of 3 noun

ˈläk 

1

: a small bunch of hair or fiber (as cotton or wool)

2

plural : the hair of the head

lock

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: a fastening (as for a door) in which a bolt is operated (as by a key)

b

: a device for exploding the charge or cartridge of a firearm

2

: an enclosure (as in a canal) with gates at each end used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from level to level

3

: a wrestling hold that prevents any movement of the part of the body that is being held

a leg lock

lock

3 of 3 verb

1

: to fasten with or as if with a lock

lock up the house

the door locks from the inside

2

a

: to shut in or out or make secure by or as if by means of a lock

locked up my bike

locked in jail

b

: to make or become fast or motionless

pump the brake pedal to keep the wheels from locking

3

: to make fast by the linking of parts together

lock arms

Etymology

Noun

Old English locc "small bunch of hair"

Noun

Old English loc "fastener"