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lock¹

  • /lɒk/ UK
  • /lɑk/ US

Sounds like Locke, (Anglicised) loch, lough, lakh (one pronunciation), lark (non-rhotic), lawk (cot–caught merger) · Rhymes with -ɒk

Where it comes from

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.

noun locks

  1. Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination. "Give me the key," said my mother; and though the lock was very stiff, she had turned it and thrown back the lid in a twinkling.
  2. broadly A mutex or other token restricting access to a resource. [T]he application must first acquire a lock on a file or a portion of a file before reading data and modifying it.
  3. A segment of a canal or other navigable waterway enclosed by gates, used for raising and lowering boats between levels. Here the canal came to a check, ending abruptly with a large lock.
  4. The firing mechanism in a gun. "I never saw such a gun in my life," replied poor Winkle, looking at the lock, as if that would do any good.
  5. Complete control over a situation. Even though he had not yet done so, Jack felt he had a lock on the game.
  6. Something sure to be a success. Brian thinks she's a lock to get a scholarship somewhere.
  7. Synonym of Dutch book.

    Similar: Dutch book

  8. A player in the scrum behind the front row, usually the tallest members of the team. Ashton only had to wait three minutes for his second try, lock Louis Deacon setting it up with a rollocking line-break, before Romania got on the scoreboard courtesy of a penalty from fly-half Marin Danut Dumbrava.
  9. A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable. [O]n may of his lecture days I have seen all Albemarle Street closed by a "lock" of carriages, filled with women of distinction, until the servants of the Institution or their own footmen advanced to the carriage-doors with the intelligence that Mr. Coleridge had been suddenly taken ill.
  10. A place impossible to get out of, as by a lock. Sergestus, eager with his beak to press / Betwixt the rival galley and the rock, / Shuts up the unwieldy Centaur in the lock
  11. A device for keeping a wheel from turning.
  12. A grapple in wrestling. They must be also practis'd in all the Locks and Gripes of Wrestling

verb locks · locking · locked · locken

  1. intransitive To become fastened in place. If you put the brakes on too hard, the wheels will lock.
  2. transitive To fasten with a lock. Remember to lock the door when you leave.

    Opposite: unlock

  3. intransitive To be capable of becoming fastened in place. This door locks with a key.

    Opposite: unlock

  4. transitive To intertwine or dovetail. with his hands locked behind his back

    Similar: braid, lace, twine, betwine, entwist, entwine, interlace, interthread, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, lock

  5. intransitive To freeze one's body or a part thereof in place. a pop and lock routine
  6. To furnish (a canal) with locks.
  7. To raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.
  8. To seize (e.g. the sword arm of an antagonist) by turning one's left arm around it, to disarm them.
  9. Internet, transitive To modify (a thread) so that users cannot make new posts in it.
  10. Internet, transitive To prevent a page from being edited by other users. Frequently-vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.
  11. intransitive To play in the position of lock. Please don't disappoint me - you are female, aren't you? I have a lingering suspicion that you are 17 stone and lock for Tarankai.

lock²

  • /lɒk/ UK
  • /lɑk/ US

Sounds like Locke, (Anglicised) loch, lough, lakh (one pronunciation), lark (non-rhotic), lawk (cot–caught merger) · Rhymes with -ɒk

Where it 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".

noun locks

  1. A tuft or length of hair, wool, etc. Baſſ. […]Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, For the foure windes blow in from euery coaſt Renowned ſutors, and her ſunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece, Which makes her ſeat of Belmont Cholchos-'| ſtrond, And many Iaſons come in queſt of her.
  2. A small quantity of straw etc.
  3. historical A quantity of meal, the perquisite of a mill-servant.

lock³

  • /lɒk/ UK
  • /lɑk/ US

Sounds like Locke, (Anglicised) loch, lough, lakh (one pronunciation), lark (non-rhotic), lawk (cot–caught merger) · Rhymes with -ɒk

Where it comes from

Ellipsis of dreadlock

noun locks

  1. A single dreadlock.

verb locks · locking · locked

  1. To form a dreadlock.

Lock⁴

Where it comes from

* As an English, German and Dutch surname, from the noun lock.

* Also as an English surname, from Middle English loke, itself from Old English loca (“enclosure”) or *Loca (“Loki”) (theonym of the latter).

* Also as an English surname, from Middle English locke, from Old English locc (“lock of hair”).

* Also as a German surname, Americanized from Loch.

* As a Chinese surname, variant of Lok, itself from:

** a Cantonese form of 樂 /乐, see Le.

** a Cantonese form of 陸 /陆, 鹿 (lù), 逯 (lù), and 禄 (lù), see Lu.

** a Cantonese form of 駱 /骆 (luò), see Luo.

proper noun

  1. A surname.
  2. An unincorporated community in Knox County and Licking County, Ohio, United States.
  3. A town in Elliston district council area, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia; from the surname.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: interlock, lock in, mesh, interlace, whorl, lock away, curl, ringlet, put away, lock up, shut up, operate, engage, shut away, ignition lock, lock chamber

Translations

Every language

noun something used for fastening

Españolcerradura, candado, chapa, piesllo, cerrojo, pestillo
한국어자물쇠 jamulsoe
日本語錠前 jōmae, 錠 jō, 鎹 kasugai, 釘 kugi
中文鎖 /锁 suǒ, 鎖子 /锁子 suǒzi
हिन्दीताला tālā
Kiswahilikufuli
Portuguêsfechadura, cadeado
Françaisverrou, cadenas, serrure
DeutschSchloss
Italianoserratura, chiavistello, lucchetto
Ελληνικάκλειδαριά kleidariá
Românăîncuietoare, lacăt, broască, zăvor, clanță
Русскийзамо́к zamók, запо́р zapór, затво́р zatvór
Tiếng Việtkhóa, ổ khóa
العربيةقُفْل qufl
עבריתמַנְעוּל man'úl

noun a mutex or other token

中文鎖定 /锁定 suǒdìng
DeutschLock
Русскийблокиро́вка blokiróvka
العربيةقُفْل qufl

noun segment of a canal

Españolesclusa
日本語水門 suimon, 水門閘門 mito
中文船閘 /船闸 chuánzhá
Portuguêseclusa
Françaisécluse, sas
DeutschSchleuse, Schiffshebewerk
Italianochiusa
Ελληνικάυδατοφράκτης ydatofráktis
Românăstăvilar
Русскийшлюз šljuz
العربيةهَوِّيس hawwīs
עבריתתָּא שַׁיִט ta shayit, תָּא סָכוּר ta sakhur, מִסְכוֹר miskhor

noun firing mechanism of a gun

Españolllave
中文槍機 /枪机 qiāngjī, 保險栓 /保险栓 bǎoxiǎnshuān
Portuguêstrava
Françaisverrou
DeutschSchloss
Italianootturatore
Русскийзамо́к zamók

verb break dancing: to freeze one's body or a part thereof in place

Italianorestare immobile, congelarsi, bloccarsi, restare impalato

verb to become fastened in place

Españolbloquearse, trabarse, candarse, cerrarse
Françaisse bloquer, se verrouiller
Deutschblockieren
Italianobloccarsi, incepparsi
Românăbloca, închide
Русскийблоки́роваться blokírovatʹsja
العربيةأَقْفَلَ ʔaqfala

verb to fasten with a lock

Españolcerrar con llave, cerrar con seguro, cerrar con llavín, acerrojar, candar, trancar
한국어잠그다 jamgeuda
日本語鍵を掛ける kagi o kakeru, 閉める shimeru, 鎖す sasu
中文鎖 /锁 suǒ, 鎖上 /锁上 suǒshàng
हिन्दीताला लगाना tālā lagānā
Portuguêstrancar
Françaisverrouiller, barrer
Deutschabschließen, verschließen
Italianochiudere a chiave, chiudere, serrare
Ελληνικάκλειδώνω kleidóno
Românăîncuia
Русскийзапира́ть zapirátʹ, запере́ть zaperétʹ, замыка́ть zamykátʹ, замкну́ть zamknútʹ
Tiếng Việtkhoá
العربيةأَقْفَلَ ʔaqfala
עבריתנָעַל na'ál

verb to be capable of becoming fastened in place

Românăblocabil, blocabilă

verb to furnish with locks

Italianomunire di chiuse

noun length of hair

Españolmechón, mecha, rizo, rulo, bucle, hopo
한국어타래 tarae
日本語巻き毛 makige
中文綹 /绺 liǔ
Portuguêscacho, mecha
Françaismèche
DeutschLocke
Italianoricciolo, ciocca, ciuffo
Ελληνικάμπούκλα boúkla
Românăbuclă
Русскийло́кон lókon, прядь prjadʹ
العربيةذُؤَابَة ḏuʔāba

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Cite this
MLA

"lock." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lock. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

lock. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lock

Chicago

"lock." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lock.

BibTeX
@misc{lock_2026,
  title = {lock},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lock},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}