26984 words

lock

18 definitions • 23 examples
1
a device that prevents something such as a door from being opened and can only be opened with a key:

Examples:

in the lock I heard someone turn a key in the lock.
Thieves got in by smashing the lock off the door.
2
a length of water with gates at each end where the level of water can be changed to allow boats to move between parts of a canal or river that are at different heights
3
something that is certain to happen:

Examples:

lock for She's a lock for promotion this year.
4

Examples:

There is a lock of Napoleon's hair in the display cabinet.
5
the hair on someone's head:

Examples:

6
short for dreadlocks; a hairstyle in which the hair hangs in long thick twisted pieces:

Examples:

Jamaican footballers were the first to sport locks.
7
the amount a road vehicle's front wheels can be turned from one side to the other by turning its steering wheel:

Examples:

full lock You need it on full lock (= with the wheel turned as much as possible).
8
a way of holding someone that you are fighting against so that they cannot move:

Examples:

The smaller wrestler held his opponent in a full body lock.
9
a rugby player who plays in the second row of the scrum (= a group of players from each team who come together with their heads down and their arms joined, and push against each other to get control of the ball), or this position in the team:

Examples:

The England lock caught four vital lineout throws.
The lock forward was a member of Italy's under-19 World Cup squad.
10
to put an object in a safe place and fasten a lock that prevents someone from entering the place, moving the object, etc.:

Examples:

lock something in something He locked the confidential documents in his filing cabinet.
lock something to something I locked my bike to the railings.
lock something up You really should lock your bike up or it'll get stolen.
11
to fasten something with a key, or be fastened with a key:

Examples:

Don't forget to lock the door when you go out.
If you shut the door it will lock automatically.
12
to become fixed in one position:

Examples:

I tried to start moving but the wheels had locked.
13
a device that keeps something, such as a door or drawer, fastened, usually needing a key to open it
14
a length of water with gates at either end where the level of water can be changed to allow boats to move between parts of a canal or river that are at different heights
15
a curl of hair, or a group of hairs
16
to be or hold something in a position or condition where movement, escape, or change is not possible:

Examples:

[ T ] They’re locked in a lawsuit with their former employer.
[ I ] The cars crashed and the bumpers locked, making it impossible to move.
[ M ] The bank won’t lock in our mortgage rate.
17
If you lock something somewhere, you make it safe by putting it in a special place and fastening it closed with a lock:

Examples:

[ T ] He locked the documents in his filing cabinet.
18
to become involved in a disagreement or argument with someone:

Examples:

My first test as a manager early in my career was locking horns with a union representative at a print factory.
lock horns (with sb) over sth The White House and Congress locked horns over how to cut the budget deficit.

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