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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

3 entries under this word

Lock

Lŏck, n.

noun

n. [A-S. loc, inclosure, an inclosed place, the fastening of a door, locan, lūcan, to lock, fasten; O. Sax. lūcan, O. Fries. & Goth. lūkan, Icel. lúka, liuka, Sw. lycka, Dan. lukke, D. luiken, O. H. Ger. luhhan, M. H. Ger. lûchen, Icel. loka, bolt; O. H. Ger. bi-loh, bloch, bolt; A-S. locc, lock, hair, loca, a flock of wool, lyccan, luccan, lucian, locian, to pluck up; O. Fries. lûka, M. H. Ger. liechen, to pluck; O. Sax. locka, D. & Dan. lok, Sw. lock, Icel. lockr, hårlockr, O. H. Ger. loc, M. H. Ger. lock, locke, N. H. Ger. locke, a lock of hair.]

  1. Any thing that fastens; specifically, a fastening, as for a door, a lid, a trunk, and the like, in which a movable bolt is projected by the action of a separate piece, called a key, but can not be withdrawn so as to release the door, &c., except by another application of the key.
  2. A fastening together; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.

I have all Albemarle Street closed by a lock of carriages. De Quincey.

  1. A place which is locked up. “Shuts up the unwielding centaur in the lock.” Dryden.
  2. The barrier or works which confine the water of a stream or canal;—called also weir or guard-lock.
  3. 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.
  4. That part of a fire-arm by which fire is produced for the discharge of the piece.
  5. A grapple in wrestling. Milton.
  6. A tuft of hair; a plexus of wool, hay, or other like substance; a flock; a ringlet of hair. “These gray locks, the pursuivants of death.” Shak.

Lock of water, the measure equal to the contents of the chamber of the locks by which the consumption of water on a canal is estimated.—Lock, stock, and barrel, the whole of a thing;—a sporting phrase. [U. S.] Bartlett.

Lŏck, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. LOCKED (lŏkt); p. pr. & vb. n. LOCKING.] [See Lock, n.]

  1. To fasten with a lock and key; as, to lock a door; to lock a trunk.
  2. To fasten so as to impede motion; as, to lock a wheel.
  3. To shut up or confine, as with a lock; as, to be locked in a prison.
  4. To close fast; as, the frost locks up our rivers.
  5. To encircle or inclose; as, to lock arms; to embrace closely; as, to lock one in the arms.

Lock hand in hand; yourselves in order set. Shak.

  1. To furnish with locks, as a canal.
  2. (Fencing.) To seize, as the sword arm of an antagonist, by turning the left arm around it, in order to disarm him.

Lŏck, v. i.

verbintransitive
  1. To become fast; as, the door locks close.
  2. To unite closely by mutual insertion; as, they lock into each other.