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LOK/lɒk/

To lock is to fasten with a key or code: lock the door, lock your bike, lock the car. Unlock is the opposite; lock can also be a noun: a bike lock, pick a lock. Shut and close do not mean locked — a closed door can still open. Do not say “close the door with key”; lock the door, and use locked as the adjective: a locked drawer.

Meaning

To fasten something with a key so that it cannot be opened.

Examples

• “Please lock the door before you leave.”
• “Did you lock the back gate?”
• “Keep your passport in a locked cupboard.”

Good to know

lock / unlock the door. Noun: a lock. Closed ≠ locked.

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