lock

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈläk 

1

a

: a tuft, tress, or ringlet of hair

Marie … turned to pin up a lock of hair that had fallen on her neck.

—Willa Cather

b

locks plural : the hair of the head

… if your locks are lank, … skip the conditioner.

—Parenting

c(1)

often loc plural locs : a narrow ropelike strand of hair formed by matting, braiding, or twisting : dreadlock sense 1

According to Brooklyn stylist Derrick Scurry, there are several ways to save your dreadlock. For locks broken at the root, wait for hair to grow long enough to braid. Then have your stylist attach the lost lock to the braid with thread so you can't tell where the braid ends and where the lock begins.

—Essence

If palm rolling and twisting seem similar, it's because they are. But instead of twisting with your fingers to create a loc, you roll the section of hair between your palms, a technique that helps give more control over the size and shape of the loc.

—Sami Roberts

(2)

locs or locks plural : a hairstyle consisting of locks : dreadlocks

Dreadlocks, dreads, locks, locs—whatever your term of choice for them may be …

—Taylor Bryant

Some people simply stop combing through their hair in order to form "freeform" locs, which tend to vary greatly in size. Many others prefer a more cultivated look, with neat, even partings throughout, and a uniform size to each unit.

—Del Sandeen

The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, which was introduced by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), prohibits denying employment or educational opportunities to a person based on their hairstyle or texture. The law includes styles such as locs, cornrows, … and Afros.

—Angela Johnson

For Michael Calhoun of DeKalb, his locks are more than just a hairstyle. "It's a way of life," he said. Calhoun … said the preferred term for his chosen style the past decade isn't dreadlocks, it's "locks" because dread carries a negative connotation.

—Katie Finlon

2

: a cohering bunch (as of wool, cotton, or flax) : tuft

lock

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

a

: a fastening (as for a door) operated by a key or a combination

b

: the mechanism for exploding the charge or cartridge of a firearm

2

a

: an enclosure (as in a canal) with gates at each end used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from level to level

b

: air lock

3

a

: a locking or fastening together

b

: an intricate mass of objects impeding each other (as in a traffic jam)

c

: a hold in wrestling secured on one part of the body

broadly : a controlling hold

his paper … had a lock on a large part of the state

—John Corry

4

: one that is assured of success or favorable outcome

lock

3 of 3

verb

locked; locking; locks

transitive verb

1

a

: to fasten the lock of

b

: to make fast with or as if with a lock

lock up the house

2

a

: to fasten in or out or to make secure or inaccessible by or as if by means of locks

locked himself away from the curious world

b

: to fix in a particular situation or method of operation

a team firmly locked in last place

3

a

: to make fast, motionless, or inflexible especially by the interlacing or interlocking of parts

lock wheels

lock a knee

b

: to hold in a close embrace

c

: to grapple in combat

also : to bind closely

administration and students were locked in conflict

4

: to invest (capital) without assurance of easy convertibility into money

5

: to move or permit to pass (something, such as a ship) by raising or lowering in a lock

intransitive verb

1

a

: to become locked

b

: to be capable of being locked

2

: interlace, interlock

3

: to go or pass by means of a lock (as in a canal)

lockable

ˈlä-kə-bəl 

adjective

Phrases

lock horns

: to come into conflict

lock on or lock onto

: to acquire (something, such as a target or signal) automatically using a sensor (such as radar)

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• cinch
• shoo-in
• slam dunk
• sure thing

Examples of lock in a Sentence

Verb

They locked the door when they left and unlocked it when they returned.

She locked the bicycle to the railing with a chain.

He forgot to lock the car.

The car locks automatically when you start the engine.

The wheels locked and the car skidded off the road.

They were locked in each other's arms.

She locked her hands around the steering wheel.

The file is locked for editing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This smart lock has a sleek design that will enable you to unlock your door by typing in a code, by using an app on your smartphone or Apple Watch. —Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 5 Apr. 2024

McDonald argued to the jury that four children might be alive had James Crumbley used a cable lock, a trigger lock or stored the gun in a locked safe. —Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024

McDonald argued to the jury that four children might be alive had James Crumbley used a cable lock, a trigger lock, or stored the gun in a locked safe. —Tresa Baldas, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

Some formulas that are made for dandruff, which is not the same as a dry scalp, will help reduce the itch while bringing back moisture to your manly locks. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

In the past two years alone, the actress has experimented with an array of bold styles and colors, including an edgy maxi mullet, striped bangs, Little Mermaid-red locks and gray roots at the 2023 CFDA Awards. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024

Following the fallout of the thievery, the group gave free steering wheel locks, ignition cylinder protectors, and software and hardware upgrades for car owners who lacked an anti-theft engine immobilizer. —Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, Northwell Health, which is New York State’s largest health system, asks everyone who comes into select ERs about gun access and offers locks to those who might need them. —Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2024

The train companies already pay for insurance, and the cost to further upgrade locks would be too much, apparently. —Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 23 Mar. 2024

Verb

Defense attorneys argued the parents had already spent more than two and a half years in prison locked in a cell for 23 hours a day, and that further prison time was not necessary because the Crumbleys were not a threat to the public. —Quinn Klinefelter, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024

Not all players were so sentimental about the event, however, namely reigning Open Championship winner Brian Harman, who had been locked in a playoff at a tournament during the North American eclipse seven years ago. —Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

He was arrested for unauthorized use of personal information and spent nearly two years locked up awaiting trial, including more than 100 days in a psychiatric hospital. —Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024

Pitt and Jolie have faced off over custody (though they've been ruled single, their 2016 divorce is still not finalized) and are currently locked in a legal battle over ownership of their French winery Château Miraval. —Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024

His gaze locked on the infant as her tiny toes gripped the hardwood floors. —Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

James bites into George’s arm without warning, bolts into a river during a paranoid episode and is generally prone to outbursts or locking himself in his chambers. —Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

We aren't locked into an inflexible multi-year strategy. —Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

But Reuters reports that an alliance including Qualcomm, Google, Intel, and Samsung is angling to take on Nvidia by developing open-source software that would let AI developers make computer code that can run on any machine, rather than be locked into Nvidia’s ecosystem. —John Kell, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English lok, from Old English locc; akin to Old High German loc lock, Greek lygos withe, Latin luxus dislocated

Noun (2)

Middle English lok, from Old English loc; akin to Old High German loh enclosure and perhaps to Old English locc lock of hair

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing lock

• lock, stock, and barrel
• wheel lock
• caps lock
• have a lock on
• lock screen
• lock out
• combination lock
• under lock and key
• lip-lock
• scalp lock
• vapor lock
• time lock
• on full lock
• air lock
• lock-in
• lock one's knee
• mortise lock
• pick a lock
• lock away
• lock horns
• lock onto
• lock on

Kids Definition

lock

1 of 3 noun

ˈläk 

1

: a small bunch of hair or fiber (as cotton or wool)

2

plural : the hair of the head

lock

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: a fastening (as for a door) in which a bolt is operated (as by a key)

b

: a device for exploding the charge or cartridge of a firearm

2

: an enclosure (as in a canal) with gates at each end used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from level to level

3

: a wrestling hold that prevents any movement of the part of the body that is being held

a leg lock

lock

3 of 3 verb

1

: to fasten with or as if with a lock

lock up the house

the door locks from the inside

2

a

: to shut in or out or make secure by or as if by means of a lock

locked up my bike

locked in jail

b

: to make or become fast or motionless

pump the brake pedal to keep the wheels from locking

3

: to make fast by the linking of parts together

lock arms

Etymology

Noun

Old English locc "small bunch of hair"

Noun

Old English loc "fastener"