Padlock
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A detachable lock that can be used to secure something by means of a sliding or hinged shackle
- 2 a detachable lock; has a hinged shackle that can be passed through the staple of a hasp or the links in a chain and then snapped shut wordnet
Verb
- 1 To lock using a padlock.
"Janitors padlock the gates."
- 2 fasten with a padlock wordnet
Example
More examples"Her friends had to padlock the freezer to prevent her from eating ice cream."
Etymology
From earlier pad lock (19th c.); Middle English padlock, padlokke, from pad-, of unknown origin, + lok (“lock”). Perhaps originally a lock for a pad (“gate”), or a gate opening to a path, or a lock for a basket or pannier, from UK dialect pad (“a pannier”).
Related phrases
More for "padlock"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.