Lock

English Meaning

A tuft of hair; a flock or small quantity of wool, hay, or other like substance; a tress or ringlet of hair.

1. A device operated by a key, combination, or keycard and used, as on a door, for holding, closing, or securing.
2. A section of a waterway, such as a canal, closed off with gates, in which vessels in transit are raised or lowered by raising or lowering the water level of that section.
3. A mechanism in a firearm for exploding the charge.
4. An interlocking or entanglement of elements or parts.
5. Sports A hold in wrestling or self-defense that is secured on a part of an opponent's body.
6. A secure hold; control: The distributor has a lock on most of the market.
7. A sure thing; a certainty: His promotion is a lock.
8. To fasten the lock of: close and lock a drawer.
9. To shut or make secure with or as if with locks: locked the house.
10. To confine or exclude by or as if by means of a lock: locked the dog in for the night; locked the criminal up in a cell.
11. To fix in place so that movement or escape is impossible; hold fast: The ship was locked in the ice through the winter. She felt that she had become locked into a binding agreement.
12. To sight and follow (a moving target) automatically: locked the enemy fighter in the gun sights.
13. To aim (a weapon or other device) at a moving target so as to follow it automatically: "The pilot had locked his targeting radar on the slow-moving frigate” ( Ed Magnuson).
14. To engage and interlock securely so as to be immobile.
15. To clasp or link firmly; intertwine: locked arms and walked away.
16. To bind in close struggle or battle: The two dogs were locked in combat.
17. To equip (a waterway) with locks.
18. To pass (a vessel) through a lock.
19. Printing To secure (letterpress type) in a chase or press bed by tightening the quoins.
20. Printing To fasten (a curved plate) to the cylinder of a rotary press.
21. To invest (funds) in such a way that they cannot easily be converted into cash.
22. Computer Science To end the processing of (a magnetic tape or disk) in such a way as to deny access to its contents.
23. Computer Science To protect (a file) from changes or deletion.
24. To become fastened by or as if by means of a lock: The door locks automatically when shut.
25. To become entangled; interlock.
26. To become rigid or immobile: The mechanism tends to lock in cold weather.
27. To pass through a lock or locks in a waterway.
28. lock out To withhold work from (employees) during a labor dispute.
29. lock horns To become embroiled in conflict.
30. lock, stock, and barrel To the greatest or most complete extent; wholly: an estate that was auctioned off lock, stock, and barrel.
31. under lock and key Securely locked up.
32. A length or curl of hair; a tress.
33. The hair of the head. Often used in the plural.
34. A small wisp or tuft, as of wool or cotton.