n. [ AS. locc; akin to D. lok, G. locke, OHG. loc, Icel. lokkr, and perh. to Gr. &unr_; to bend, twist. ] A tuft of hair; a flock or small quantity of wool, hay, or other like substance; a tress or ringlet of hair. [ 1913 Webster ]

These gray locks, the pursuivants of death. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. loc inclosure, an inclosed place, the fastening of a door, fr. lūcan to lock, fasten; akin to OS. lūkan (in comp.), D. luiken, OHG. lūhhan, Icel. lūka, Goth. lūkan (in comp.); cf. Skr. ruj to break. Cf. Locket. ] 1. Anything that fastens; specifically, a fastening, as for a door, a lid, a trunk, a drawer, and the like, in which a bolt is moved by a key so as to hold or to release the thing fastened. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable. [ 1913 Webster ]

Albemarle Street closed by a lock of carriages. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A place from which egress is prevented, as by a lock. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The barrier or works which confine the water of a stream or canal. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An inclosure in a canal with gates at each end, used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from one level to another; -- called also lift lock. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. That part or apparatus of a firearm by which the charge is exploded; as, a matchlock, flintlock, percussion lock, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A device for keeping a wheel from turning. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A grapple in wrestling. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Detector lock, a lock containing a contrivance for showing whether it as has been tampered with. --
Lock bay (Canals), the body of water in a lock chamber. --
Lock chamber, the inclosed space between the gates of a canal lock. --
Lock nut. See Check nut, under Check. --
Lock plate, a plate to which the mechanism of a gunlock is attached. --
Lock rail (Arch.), in ordinary paneled doors, the rail nearest the lock.
Lock rand (Masonry), a range of bond stone. Knight. --
Mortise lock, a door lock inserted in a mortise. --
Rim lock, a lock fastened to the face of a door, thus differing from a mortise lock. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Locked p. pr. & vb. n. Locking. ] 1. To fasten with a lock, or as with a lock; to make fast; to prevent free movement of; as, to lock a door, a carriage wheel, a river, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To prevent ingress or access to, or exit from, by fastening the lock or locks of; -- often with up; as, to lock or lock up, a house, jail, room, trunk. etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To fasten in or out, or to make secure by means of, or as with, locks; to confine, or to shut in or out -- often with up; as, to lock one's self in a room; to lock up the prisoners; to lock up one's silver; to lock intruders out of the house; to lock money into a vault; to lock a child in one's arms; to lock a secret in one's breast. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To link together; to clasp closely; as, to lock arms. “ Lock hand in hand.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Canals) To furnish with locks; also, to raise or lower (a boat) in a lock. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Fencing) To seize, as the sword arm of an antagonist, by turning the left arm around it, to disarm him. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become fast, as by means of a lock or by interlacing; as, the door locks close. [ 1913 Webster ]

When it locked none might through it pass. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

To lock into, to fit or slide into; as, they lock into each other. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Materials for locks in a canal, or the works forming a lock or locks. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Toll paid for passing the locks of a canal. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Amount of elevation and descent made by the locks of a canal. [ 1913 Webster ]

The entire lock will be about fifty feet. De Witt Clinton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A box of strong and durable construction, fitted with a lock, used for the purpose of protecting valuable items, such as money or jewelry; a strongbox. [ PJC ]

n. A contrivance to fasten logs together in rafting; -- used by lumbermen. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Lockjaw. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. p. p. of Lock. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The globeflower (Trollius). [ 1913 Webster ]