lock.
Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination.
Meaning & usage
Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination.
A mutex or other token restricting access to a resource.
A segment of a canal or other navigable waterway enclosed by gates, used for raising and lowering boats between levels.
The firing mechanism in a gun.
Complete control over a situation.
Something sure to be a success.
Synonym of Dutch book.
A player in the scrum behind the front row, usually the tallest members of the team.
A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.
A place impossible to get out of, as by a lock.
A device for keeping a wheel from turning.
A grapple in wrestling.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewg-der. Proto-Germanic *luką Proto-West Germanic *lok Old English loc Middle English lok English lock From Middle English lok, from Old English loc, from Proto-West Germanic *lok, from Proto-Germanic *luką from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend; turn”). Cognate with Cimbrian loch, lòch (“hole”), Dutch lok (“hole”), German Loch (“hole”), German Low German Lock (“hole”), Luxembourgish Lach (“hole”), Vilamovian łöch (“hole”), Yiddish לאָך (lokh, “hole”), Danish låg (“lid, cover”), Norwegian Bokmål lokk (“lid, cover”), Norwegian Nynorsk lok, lokk (“lid, cover”). more detail The verb is from Middle English locken, lokken, louken, from Old English lūcan, Proto-West Germanic *lūkan, from Proto-Germanic *lūkaną. Cognate with Dutch luiken (“to close, to shut”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål lukke (“to close, to shut”), Faroese lúka (“to end, to finish”), Icelandic ljúka (“to close, to shut”), Norwegian Nynorsk lukka (“to close, to shut”). Related to luxe via Latin.
To become fastened in place.
If you put the brakes on too hard, the wheels will lock.
To fasten with a lock.
Remember to lock the door when you leave.
To be capable of becoming fastened in place.
This door locks with a key.
To intertwine or dovetail.
with his hands locked behind his back
We locked arms and stepped out into the night.
To freeze one's body or a part thereof in place.
a pop and lock routine
To furnish (a canal) with locks.
To raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.
To seize (e.g. the sword arm of an antagonist) by turning one's left arm around it, to disarm them.
To modify (a thread) so that users cannot make new posts in it.
To prevent a page from being edited by other users.
Frequently-vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.
To play in the position of lock.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewg-der. Proto-Germanic *luką Proto-West Germanic *lok Old English loc Middle English lok English lock From Middle English lok, from Old English loc, from Proto-West Germanic *lok, from Proto-Germanic *luką from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend; turn”). Cognate with Cimbrian loch, lòch (“hole”), Dutch lok (“hole”), German Loch (“hole”), German Low German Lock (“hole”), Luxembourgish Lach (“hole”), Vilamovian łöch (“hole”), Yiddish לאָך (lokh, “hole”), Danish låg (“lid, cover”), Norwegian Bokmål lokk (“lid, cover”), Norwegian Nynorsk lok, lokk (“lid, cover”). more detail The verb is from Middle English locken, lokken, louken, from Old English lūcan, Proto-West Germanic *lūkan, from Proto-Germanic *lūkaną. Cognate with Dutch luiken (“to close, to shut”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål lukke (“to close, to shut”), Faroese lúka (“to end, to finish”), Icelandic ljúka (“to close, to shut”), Norwegian Nynorsk lukka (“to close, to shut”). Related to luxe via Latin.
A tuft or length of hair, wool, etc.
A small quantity of straw etc.
A quantity of meal, the perquisite of a mill-servant.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English lok, lokke, from Old English locc (“hair of the head, hair, lock of hair, curl, ringlet”), from Proto-West Germanic *lokk, from Proto-Germanic *lukkaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lugnó-, from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend”). Cognate with Alemannic German lokha (“hair”), Dutch lok (“lock of hair, curl”), German Locke (“lock of hair, curl”), Danish lok (“lock of hair, curl”), Faroese, Icelandic lokkur (“lock of hair, curl”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk lokk (“lock of hair, curl”), Swedish lock (“lock of hair, curl”). It has been theorised that the word may be related to the Gothic verb *𐌻𐌿𐌺𐌰𐌽 (*lukan, “to shut”) in its ancient meaning "to curb".
A single dreadlock.
Where this word comes from
Ellipsis of dreadlock
To form a dreadlock.
Where this word comes from
Ellipsis of dreadlock
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.