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Airlock
noun, verb, slang
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sealed, airtight chamber, such as in a manned spacecraft or submarine, used to provide access to and from the sealed area without allowing air out or water in.
"At the head of the machine, we are shown the airlock through which people have to pass to work on the cutting head, as it operates under pressure to prevent leakages into the tunnel."
- 2 a chamber that provides access to space where air is under pressure wordnet
- 3 A vestibule, foyer or entranceway with doors to the exterior on one end and doors to the interior on the other, functioning to keep indoor and outdoor air, humidity, and air temperatures separate. informal
- 4 Alternative form of air lock. alt-of, alternative
Verb
- 1 To secure with an airlock. transitive
- 2 To dispose of through an airlock. transitive
"Delighted by the unexpected two-pelt bonus, he airlocked the meat. Wookiee tasted oily and foul."
- 3 To firewall, to maintain an ethical wall. figuratively, transitive
"[…]cosmetics manufacturing enterprises do not want to have wholesalers standing in the middle to mark up prices of their products, and this has in fact affected the competitiveness of the manufacturers and airlocked the manufacturers from consumer dynamics."
Etymology
Etymology 1
From air + lock.
Etymology 2
From air + lock.
See also for "airlock"
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Unscramble this word: airlock