A lock is a tool that keeps doors or boxes closed. You usually need a key to open it. Locks help keep things safe.
I put the key in the lock.
Close the lock on the box tightly.
A lock in water travel is part of a canal. It helps boats go up or down between high and low water. Gates hold and move water to do this.
The boat waited in the lock.
Water fills the lock slowly now.
To lock means to close something with a lock. This stops others from opening it. You need a key or code to open it again.
Please lock the door before leaving.
She locked her bike in the yard.
Lock also means to join things so they stay fixed and cannot move. This can mean physical parts or people holding each other.
The gears lock in place tightly.
Hands locked together in the game.
A lock can mean a small part of hair that hangs or curls separately. This word is used to talk about hair pieces.
She brushed a lock of hair away.
He has a long lock of hair.
In firearms, a lock is the part that sets off the gunpowder to fire a bullet. It is an old and technical meaning for guns.
The old rifle has a flintlock mechanism.
The lock of the gun needs fixing.
To lock can mean to hold someone or something tightly so they cannot move or escape. People can also lock eyes, meaning to look deeply at each other.
They locked eyes and smiled.
The door locked us inside the room.
In technology, a lock means a safety measure that stops access without permission. For example, screens or accounts have locks to protect your information.
Your phone has a screen lock.
The account is on a lock now.
