Lock — Defs

01 n. A tuft of hair; a flock or small quantity of wool, hay, or other like substance; a tress or ringlet of hair.

1.
A tuft of hair; a flock or small quantity of wool, hay, or other like substance; a tress or ringlet of hair.
“These gray locks, the pursuivants of death.” — Shak.

02 n. Anything that fastens; specifically, a fastening, as for a door, a lid, a trunk, a drawer, and the like, in which a bolt is moved by a key …

1.
Anything that fastens; specifically, a fastening, as for a door, a lid, a trunk, a drawer, and the like, in which a bolt is moved by a key so as to hold or to release the thing fastened.
2.
A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.
“Albemarle Street closed by a lock of carriages.” — De Quincey.
3.
A place from which egress is prevented, as by a lock.
4.
The barrier or works which confine the water of a stream or canal.
5.
An inclosure in a canal with gates at each end, used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from one level to another; -- called also lift lock. Also: lift lock
6.
That part or apparatus of a firearm by which the charge is exploded; as, a matchlock, flintlock, percussion lock, etc.
7.
A device for keeping a wheel from turning.
8.
A grapple in wrestling.

Phrases & compounds

Detector lock — a lock containing a contrivance for showing whether it as has been tampered with.

Lock bay — the body of water in a lock chamber.

Lock chamber — the inclosed space between the gates of a canal lock.

Lock nut — See Check nut, under Check.

Lock plate — a plate to which the mechanism of a gunlock is attached.

Lock rail — in ordinary paneled doors, the rail nearest the lock.

Lock rand — a range of bond stone.

Mortise lock — a door lock inserted in a mortise.

Rim lock — a lock fastened to the face of a door, thus differing from a mortise lock.

03 v. t. To fasten with a lock, or as with a lock; to make fast; to prevent free movement of; as, to lock a door, a carriage wheel, a river, etc.

imp. & p. p. Locked; p. pr. & vb. n. Locking

1.
To fasten with a lock, or as with a lock; to make fast; to prevent free movement of; as, to lock a door, a carriage wheel, a river, etc.
2.
To prevent ingress or access to, or exit from, by fastening the lock or locks of; -- often with up; as, to lock or lock up, a house, jail, room, trunk. etc.
3.
To fasten in or out, or to make secure by means of, or as with, locks; to confine, or to shut in or out -- often with up; as, to lock one's self in a room; to lock up the prisoners; to lock up one's silver; to lock intruders out of the house; to lock money into a vault; to lock a child in one's arms; to lock a secret in one's breast.
4.
To link together; to clasp closely; as, to lock arms.
5.
To furnish with locks; also, to raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.(Canals)
6.
To seize, as the sword arm of an antagonist, by turning the left arm around it, to disarm him.(Fencing)

04 v. i. To become fast, as by means of a lock or by interlacing; as, the door locks close.

1.
To become fast, as by means of a lock or by interlacing; as, the door locks close.
“When it locked none might through it pass.” — Spenser.

Phrases & compounds

To lock into — to fit or slide into; as, they lock into each other.