Lock, n.
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.
2. A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.
Albemarle Street closed by a lock of carriages. --De Quincey.
3. A place from which egress is prevented, as by a lock.
4. The barrier or works which confine the water of a stream or canal.
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.
6. That part or apparatus of a firearm by which the charge is exploded; as, a matchlock, flintlock, percussion lock, etc.
7. A device for keeping a wheel from turning.
8. A grapple in wrestling.
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.
De·tect·or n. One who, or that which, detects; a detecter.
A deathbed's detector of the heart. --Young.
2. Specifically: (a) An indicator showing the depth of the water in a boiler. (b) Elec. A galvanometer, usually portable, for indicating the direction of a current. (c) Elec. Any of various devices for detecting the presence of electric waves.
Bank-note detector, a publication containing a description of genuine and counterfeit bank notes, designed to enable persons to discriminate between them.
Detector lock. See under Lock.
◄ ►