the mechanism that explodes the charge; gunlock.
complete and unchallenged control; an unbreakable hold: The congresswoman has a lock on the senatorial nomination.
Slang. someone or something certain of success; sure thing: He's a lock to win the championship.
Wrestling. any of various holds, especially a hold secured on the arm, leg, or head: leg lock.
Horology. (in an escapement) the overlap between a tooth of an escape wheel and the surface of the pallet locking it.
Metalworking. a projection or recession in the mating face of a forging die.
to move (a ship) by means of a lock or locks, as in a canal (often followed by through, in, out, down, or up).
Printing.to make (type) immovable in a chase by securing the quoins.
on smashRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
lock horns, to come into conflict; clash: to lock horns with a political opponent.
lock, stock, and barrel, completely; entirely; including every part, item, or facet, no matter how small or insignificant: We bought the whole business, lock, stock, and barrel.
a tress, curl, or ringlet of hair.
the hair of the head.
short wool of inferior quality, as that obtained in small clumps from the legs.
a small tuft or portion of wool, cotton, flax, etc.
In many ways, she seems a lock for the win, but her atheism puts her entire character in question.
Host and guest pop and lock on cardboard—the only proper surface for breakdancing—and in no way did they have dancing doubles.
To lock them in as customers—and draw in more Americans who rely on government aid—Walmart wants to be their bank, too.
Inserting my key into the lock, I had just cracked the door open when a face appeared in the window.
But it won't be much use unless you can carry me upstairs and lock me in my room.
This process is termed the retinaculum, and serves, in conjunction with the frenulum, to lock the wings together during flight.
So Devil go an' lock up the gal in a bar, an' lef' the old lady to watch if the gal is going to get 'way.
Presently Mr. Grey's measured tread was heard coming up stairs, and next his hand was on the lock.
"means of fastening," Old English loc "bolt, fastening; barrier, enclosure," from Proto-Germanic *lukan (cf. Old Norse lok "fastening, lock," Gothic usluks "opening," Old High German loh "dungeon," German Loch "opening, hole," Dutch luik "shutter, trapdoor"). "The great diversity of meaning in the Teut. words seems to indicate two or more independent but formally identical substantival formations from the root."
The Old English sense "barrier, enclosure" led to the specific meaning "barrier on a river" (c.1300), and the more specific sense "gate and sluice system on a water channel used as a means of raising and lowering boats" (1570s). Wrestling sense is from c.1600. Phrase under lock and key attested from early 14c.
"tress of hair," Old English locc "lock of hair, curl," from Proto-Germanic *lukkoz (cf. Old Norse lokkr, Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch lok, Old High German loc, German Locke "lock of hair"), from PIE *lugnos-, perhaps related to Greek lygos "pliant twig, withe," Lithuanian lugnas "flexible."
"to fasten with a lock," c.1300, from Old English lucan "to lock, to close" (class II strong verb; past tense leac, past participle locen), from the same root as lock (n.1). Cognate with Old Frisian luka "to close," Old Saxon lukan, Old High German luhhan, Old Norse luka, Gothic galukan. Meaning "to embrace closely" is from 1610s. Related: Locked; locking. Slang lock horns "fight" is from 1839.