Lock

Lock (lŏk), n. [AS. locc; akin to D. lok, G. locke, OHG. loc, Icel. lokkr, and perh. to Gr. λυγίζειν to bend, twist.] A tuft of hair; a flock or small quantity of wool, hay, or other like substance; a tress or ringlet of hair.

These gray locks, the pursuivants of death. Shak.

Lock, n. [AS. loc inclosure, an inclosed place, the fastening of a door, fr. lūcan to lock, fasten; akin to OS. lūkan (in comp.), D. luiken, OHG. lūhhan, Icel. lūka, Goth. lūkan (in comp.); cf. Skr. ruj to break. Cf. Locket.] 1. Anything that fastens; specifically, a fastening, as for a door, a lid, a trunk, a drawer, and the like, in which a bolt is moved by a key so as to hold or to release the thing fastened.

2. A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.

Albemarle Street closed by a lock of carriages. De Quincey.

3. A place from which egress is prevented, as by a lock. Dryden.

4. The barrier or works which confine the water of a stream or canal.

5. 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.

6. That part or apparatus of a firearm by which the charge is exploded; as, a matchlock, flintlock, percussion lock, etc.

7. A device for keeping a wheel from turning.

8. A grapple in wrestling. Milton.

Detector lock, a lock containing a contrivance for showing whether it as has been tampered with. — Lock bay (Canals), the body of water in a lock chamber. — Lock chamber, the inclosed space between the gates of a canal lock. — Lock nut. See Check nut, under Check. — Lock plate, a plate to which the mechanism of a gunlock is attached. — Lock rail (Arch.), in ordinary paneled doors, the rail nearest the lock. Lock rand (Masonry), a range of bond stone. Knight. — Mortise lock, a door lock inserted in a mortise. — Rim lock, a lock fastened to the face of a door, thus differing from a mortise lock.

Lock, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Locked; p. pr. & vb. n. Locking.] 1. To fasten with a lock, or as with a lock; to make fast; to prevent free movement of; as, to lock a door, a carriage wheel, a river, etc.

2. To prevent ingress or access to, or exit from, by fastening the lock or locks of; — often with up; as, to lock or lock up, a house, jail, room, trunk. etc.

3. To fasten in or out, or to make secure by means of, or as with, locks; to confine, or to shut in or out — often with up; as, to lock one's self in a room; to lock up the prisoners; to lock up one's silver; to lock intruders out of the house; to lock money into a vault; to lock a child in one's arms; to lock a secret in one's breast.

4. To link together; to clasp closely; as, to lock arms. " Lock hand in hand." Shak.

5. (Canals) To furnish with locks; also, to raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.

6. (Fencing) To seize, as the sword arm of an antagonist, by turning the left arm around it, to disarm him.

Lock (lŏk), v. i. To become fast, as by means of a lock or by interlacing; as, the door locks close.

When it locked none might through it pass. Spenser.

To lock into, to fit or slide into; as, they lock into each other. Boyle.