lock

lock¹ W3S2 [lɔk US la:k] v

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1¦(fasten something)¦

2¦(keep in a safe place)¦

3¦(fixed position)¦

4¦(fixed situation)¦

5 be locked in battle/combat/dispute etc

6 lock arms

7 lock horns (with somebody)

Phrasal verbs

　lock somebody/something<=>away

　lock in

　lock onto something

　lock somebody<=>out

　lock up

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1.) ¦(FASTEN SOMETHING)¦ [I and T]

to fasten something, usually with a key, so that other people cannot open it. or to be fastened like this

▪ Did you lock the car?

▪ I can't get this drawer to lock.

see usage note ↑close¹

2.) ¦(KEEP IN A SAFE PLACE)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to put something in a place and fasten the door, lid etc with a key

lock sth in sth

▪ Lock the cat in the kitchen.

3.) ¦(FIXED POSITION)¦ [I and T]

to become fixed in one position and impossible to move, or to make something become fixed

▪ The wheels suddenly locked.

lock sth around/round sth

▪ He locked his hands around the younger man's throat.

▪ A moment later they were locked in an embrace (=holding each other very tightly in a loving or friendly way) .

▪ Their eyes locked together (=they could not look away from each other) for an instant.

4.) ¦(FIXED SITUATION)¦ [T usually passive]

if you are locked in a situation, you cannot get out of it

be locked in/into sth

▪ Security forces and militants are locked in a vicious cycle of killing.

▪ The company is locked into a three year contract with PARCO.

5.) be locked in battle/combat/dispute etc

to be involved in a long, serious argument or fight with someone

▪ They are now locked in a bitter custody battle over the three children.

6.) lock arms

if people lock arms, they join their arms tightly with the arms of the people on either side

▪ The police locked arms to form a barrier against the protesters.

7.) lock horns (with sb)

to argue or fight with someone

▪ The band have now locked horns with their record company over the album.

>lockable adj

lock away [lock sb/sth<=>away] phr v

1.) to put something in a safe place and lock the door, lid etc

= ↑lock up

▪ He locked his money away in the safe.

2.) to put someone in prison

= ↑lock up

▪ I hope they lock him away for years.

3.) lock yourself away

to keep yourself separate from other people by staying in your room, office etc

lock in phr v

1.) lock sb in (sth)

to prevent someone from leaving a room or building by locking the door

▪ She locked herself in.

▪ They locked the director in his office.

2.) lock sth<=>in

to do something so that a price, offer, agreement etc cannot be changed

▪ Sell your stocks now to lock in some of the gains of recent months.

3.) lock sth<=>in

to make the taste, liquid etc remain in something

▪ This method of cooking locks in the flavour of the meat.

lock onto [lock onto sth] phr v

if a ↑missile or ↑satellite locks onto a ↑target or signal, it finds it and follows it closely

lock out [lock sb<=>out] phr v

1.) to keep someone out of a place by locking the door

lock somebody<=>out of

▪ I locked myself out of the house!

2.) if employers lock workers out, they do not let them enter their place of work until they accept the employers' conditions for settling a disagreement

→↑lockout

lock up phr v

1.) to make a building safe by locking the doors, especially at night

▪ I'll leave you to lock up.

lock sth<=>up

▪ Don't forget to lock up the warehouse.

2.) lock sth<=>up

to put something in a safe place and lock the door, lid etc

= ↑lock away

3.) lock sb<=>up

to put someone in prison

= ↑lock away

▪ Rapists should be locked up.

4.) be locked up (in sth)

if your money is locked up, you have put it into a business, ↑investment etc and cannot easily move it or use it

lock ²

lock² S2 n

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1¦(fastening)¦

2 under lock and key

3 lock, stock, and barrel

4¦(hair)¦

5¦(on a river etc)¦

6¦(in a fight)¦

7¦(vehicle)¦

8¦(rugby)¦

9 a lock on something

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[Sense: 1-3, 5-9;Origin: Old English loc]

[Sense: 4; Origin: Old English locc]

1.) ¦(FASTENING)¦

a thing that keeps a door, drawer etc fastened and is usually opened with a key or by moving a small metal bar

▪ I'm sorry, there isn't a lock on the bathroom door.

▪ The key turned stiffly in the lock.

▪ a bike lock

2.) under lock and key

a) kept safely in a box, cupboard etc that is locked

▪ Dad keeps all his liquor under lock and key.

b) kept in a place such as a prison

3.) lock, stock, and barrel

including every part of something

▪ He moved the whole company, lock, stock, and barrel, to Mexico.

4.) ¦(HAIR)¦

a)

a small number of hairs on your head that grow and hang together

lock of

▪ He gently pushed a lock of hair from her eyes.

b) locks [plural] literary

someone's hair

▪ long flowing locks

5.) ¦(ON A RIVER ETC)¦

a part of a ↑canal or river that is closed off by gates so that the water level can be raised or lowered to move boats up or down a slope

6.) ¦(IN A FIGHT)¦

a ↑hold which ↑wrestlers use to prevent their opponent from moving

▪ a head lock

7.) ¦(VEHICLE)¦ [U and C]

BrE the degree to which a vehicle's ↑steering wheel can be turned in order to turn the vehicle

8.) ¦(RUGBY)¦

a playing position in the game of ↑rugby

9.) a lock on sth

AmE complete control of something

▪ Pro football still has a lock on male viewers aged 18 to 34.

→↑air lock, ↑combination lock