lock
noun
- object designed to prevent something from being opened or accessed
- system for raising and lowering boats
- system used to ignite propellant of firearm
verb
- close something securely
- attach, fastening, secured with a lock
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /lɒk/ / /lɑk/
name
Etymology: * 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.
- A surname.
- An unincorporated community in Knox County and Licking County, Ohio, United States.
- A town in Elliston district council area, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia; from the surname.
noun
Etymology: 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".
- 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.”
“If I consent to burn them, will you promise faithfully neither to send nor receive a letter again, nor a book (for I perceive you have sent him books), nor locks of hair, nor rings, nor playthings?”
- A small quantity of straw etc.
- A quantity of meal, the perquisite of a mill-servant.
verb
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewg-der. Proto-Germanic *luką Proto-West Germanic *lok Old English loc Middle English lok English lock 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.
- To become fastened in place.
“If you put the brakes on too hard, the wheels will lock.”
“We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time. 'Twas locked, of course, but the Deacon man got a big bunch of keys out of his pocket and commenced to putter with the lock.”
- To fasten with a lock.
“Remember to lock the door when you leave.”
- To be capable of becoming fastened in place.
“This door locks with a key.”
- To intertwine or dovetail.
“with his hands locked behind his back”
“We locked arms and stepped out into the night.”
- To freeze one's body or a part thereof in place.
“a pop and lock routine”
- To furnish (a canal) with locks.
- To raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.
- To seize (e.g. the sword arm of an antagonist) by turning one's left arm around it, to disarm them.
- To modify (a thread) so that users cannot make new posts in it.
- To prevent a page from being edited by other users.
“Frequently-vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.”
- 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.”