loc

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈläk 

variants or lock

loc'd ˈläkt  or locked; locing ˈlä-kiŋ  or locking; locs or locks

transitive + intransitive

: to form into dreadlocks

Let's face it: The process of waiting for your hair to loc can be both lengthy and frustrating.

—Del Sandeen

You can choose to let the hair loc and then separate it. But you can also part the hair in advance to divide it into distinct sections.

—Matt Sailor and Yves Jeffcoat

Chris Gilliam, 37, a 14-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department who began wearing locks last fall, was drawn to the style's symbolism. "If left to its own devices, our hair will lock. People, left to our own devices, maybe we will come together too," he says.

—David France et al.

… they use either braiding hair loc'd with your own hair or faux locs wrapped around your own hair.

—Sami Roberts

Deciding to lock your hair is a huge decision, not to mention permanent one.

—LaParis Hawkins

lock

2 of 2

verb (2)

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

see also:

lock horns lock on

Examples of loc in a Sentence

Verb (2)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Cenat has reportedly been growing out his signature locs for a decade. —Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 1 Oct. 2025

The ladies who loc in 2021? —Jihan Forbe, Allure, 21 July 2021

Verb

Meanwhile, officials have urged residents to take precautions such as locking their doors and windows to prevent bears entering their homes, and to avoid putting their trash out at night. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 9 June 2026

Fourteen states and four territories allow children of any age to be detained or locked up. —Jay Blitzman, The Conversation, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

verbal derivative of lock entry 3 in dreadlock

Note: The use as a telic or change of state verb may indicate that the verb lock entry 2 has a role in the derivation.

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1992, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

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

Phrases Containing loc

• ad loc
• loc cit