lockup

noun

lock·​up ˈläk-ˌəp 

1

: jail

especially : a local jail where persons are detained prior to court hearing

2

: an act of locking : the state of being locked

Synonyms

• bastille
• big house [slang]
• bridewell
• brig
• calaboose
• can
• clink [slang]
• cooler
• coop
• guardroom
• hock
• hold
• hoosegow
• jail
• jailhouse
• joint [slang]
• jug
• nick [British slang]
• pen
• penitentiary
• pokey [slang]
• prison
• quod [British slang]
• slam
• slammer
• stir [slang]
• stockade
• tolbooth [Scottish]

Examples of lockup in a Sentence

the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups

Recent Examples on the Web

Think of the deals that weren’t done this year: In April, a lockup window for M&A involving Warner Bros. Discovery quietly passed without any blockbuster acquisition, divestment or merger. —Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024

An engine stall and rear wheel lockup can increase the risk of a crash or injury, the report said. —Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2024

While locking tokens can incentivize holding and stability, too much lockup can lead to illiquid markets, especially during periods of stress. —Stewart Southey, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Trump Media continued to slide ahead of the expiration of lockup agreements that had barred Trump and other company insiders from selling their shares. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lockup

noun

lock·​up -ˌəp 

: prison sense 2, jail

Legal Definition

lockup

noun

lock·​up

1

: a cell or group of cells (as in a courthouse) or jail where persons are held prior to a court hearing compare house of correction, house of detention, jail, penitentiary, prison

2

: the tactic of arranging with a friendly party an option to buy a valuable portion of one's corporate assets in order to discourage a takeover by another party