lock Synonyms & Antonyms
Choose a meaning, then find a word that fits your sentence.
Lock as a Noun
Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination.
A mutex or other token restricting access to a resource.
A segment of a canal or other navigable waterway enclosed by gates, used for raising and lowering boats between levels.
The firing mechanism in a gun.
Complete control over a situation.
a manufacturer with a lock on the market for luxury trucks
Something sure to be a success.
Synonym of Dutch book.
A player in the scrum behind the front row, usually the tallest members of the team.
A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.
A place impossible to get out of, as by a lock.
A device for keeping a wheel from turning.
A grapple in wrestling.
A tuft or length of hair, wool, etc.
A small quantity of straw etc.
A quantity of meal, the perquisite of a mill-servant.
A single dreadlock.
(by extension) A mutex or other token restricting access to a resource.
A segment of a canal or other waterway enclosed by gates, used for raising and lowering boats between levels.
The firing mechanism.
A place from which egress is prevented, as by a lock.
Lock as a Verb
To become fastened in place.
If you put the brakes on too hard, the wheels will lock.
To fasten with a lock.
Remember to lock the door when you leave.
To be capable of becoming fastened in place.
This door locks with a key.
To intertwine or dovetail.
with his hands locked behind his back
To freeze one's body or a part thereof in place.
a pop and lock routine
To furnish (a canal) with locks.
To raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.
To seize (e.g. the sword arm of an antagonist) by turning one's left arm around it, to disarm them.
To modify (a thread) so that users cannot make new posts in it.
To prevent a page from being edited by other users.
Frequently-vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.
To play in the position of lock.
To form a dreadlock.
(break dancing) To freeze one's body or a part thereof in place.
a pop and lock routine
Antonyms & near antonyms
To seize (e.g. the sword arm of an antagonist) by turning the left arm around it, to disarm him.
Antonyms & near antonyms
(WMF jargon) To prevent a page from being edited by other users.
Frequently vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.
Antonyms & near antonyms
Lock in a Sentence
a manufacturer with a lock on the market for luxury trucks
If you put the brakes on too hard, the wheels will lock.
Remember to lock the door when you leave.
This door locks with a key.
with his hands locked behind his back
We locked arms and stepped out into the night.
a pop and lock routine
Frequently-vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.
Frequently vandalized pages are generally locked to prevent further damage.
Word Forms & Grammar
lock (plural locks)
lock (third-person singular simple present locks, present participle locking, simple past locked, past participle locked or (obsolete) locken)
lock (third-person singular simple present locks, present participle locking, simple past and past participle locked)
Words That Rhyme With Lock
Origin of Lock
Origin 1: From Middle English lok, from Old English loc, from Proto-West Germanic *lok, from Proto-Germanic *luką from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend; turn”).
Origin 2: Cognate with Cimbrian loch, lòch (“hole”), Dutch lok (“hole”), German Loch (“hole”), German Low German Lock (“hole”), Luxembourgish Lach (“hole”), Vilamovian łöch (“hole”), Yiddish לאָך (lokh, “hole”), Danish låg (“lid, cover”), Norwegian Bokmål lokk (“lid, cover”), Norwegian Nynorsk lok, lokk (“lid, cover”).
Origin 3: From Middle English lok, lokke, from Old English locc (“hair of the head, hair, lock of hair, curl, ringlet”), from Proto-West Germanic *lokk, from Proto-Germanic *lukkaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lugnó-, from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend”).
Origin 4: Cognate with Alemannic German lokha (“hair”), Dutch lok (“lock of hair, curl”), German Locke (“lock of hair, curl”), Danish lok (“lock of hair, curl”), Faroese, Icelandic lokkur (“lock of hair, curl”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk lokk (“lock of hair, curl”), Swedish lock (“lock of hair, curl”). It has been theorised that the word may be related to the Gothic verb *𐌻𐌿𐌺𐌰𐌽 (*lukan, “to shut”) in its ancient meaning "to curb".
Lock at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /lɒk/ |
| Meaning | Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination |
| Antonyms | unlock |
| Plural | locks |
| Verb forms | locks, locking, locked |
Questions People Ask About Lock
Is lock a noun or a verb?
Lock is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the opposite of lock?
The opposite of lock is unlock.
What is the plural of lock?
The plural of lock is locks.
What is the past tense of lock?
The past tense of lock is locked. The present participle is locking.