a solid, usually rectangular piece of hard material such as wood, stone, or metal
The sculptor carved a face into a marble block.
We used a wooden block to keep the door open.
✦ From Old French ‘bloc’, of Germanic origin, related to Middle Dutch ‘blok’ meaning log or lump.
to put something across a path or opening so that nothing can pass
A parked truck blocked the narrow bridge.
Please don't block the fire exit.
a fixed-size piece of data or memory treated as a unit in computing
The file system writes information in 4-kilobyte blocks.
Each block on the blockchain is linked to the previous one.
to fasten something with a lock so it cannot be opened without a key, code, or similar method
Please lock the front door before you go to bed.
She always locks her computer screen when she steps away from her desk.
✦ Old English locian ‘to close, lock’, originally ‘to fasten’.
a device that keeps a door, lid, or container closed and can be opened only with a key, code, or similar method
Mia turned the key and heard the lock click open.
The hotel room has an electronic lock that lights up green when you enter the right code.
✦ Old English loc, meaning ‘barrier, fastening’, related to German Loch ‘hole’.
a thick or curled piece of hair that hangs together
The wind blew a loose lock of hair across her face.
Grandma keeps a silver lock from her wedding day in a small locket.
✦ Middle English loc, from Old English locc, meaning ‘curl of hair’.
to become fixed, stuck, or unable to move or change
The wheels can lock if you brake too hard on ice.
The file will lock once it is opened by another user.
✦ Metaphorical extension from ‘fasten’ to ‘become immovable’ first noted in the 18th century.
a section of a canal with gates at each end that can be filled or emptied of water to raise or lower boats
The narrowboat waited in the lock while the water level slowly rose.
Tourists watched the ship pass through the Panama Canal’s massive locks.
✦ Sense extended from the idea of ‘fastening’ to ‘closed section of waterway’ in the 15th century.
in rugby union, one of the two players who pack in the second row of the scrum and provide power in pushing
The team’s tallest player was chosen as a lock for the upcoming match.
During the scrum, the locks bind tightly behind the front row to drive the push.
✦ Specialized rugby sense recorded from the late 19th century, reflecting the position’s role in ‘locking’ the scrum together.
to hit someone hard, especially in the face, usually suddenly
The boxer suddenly clocked his opponent with a right hook.
After being insulted, Jenna clocked the rude stranger in the jaw.
✦ 20th-century slang, possibly from the idea of striking as hard as a clock’s hammer hits its bell.
