noun
lock
A gated chamber that raises or lowers boats between different water levels.
Water rises inside the lock, lifting the boat.
Etymology
The older word concerned enclosure and fastening. A canal lock applies that idea to a chamber whose gates enclose water so its level can be changed.
More examples
- The canal has six locks between the lakes.
- We waited outside the lock for the gates to open.
- A keeper guided the barge into the next lock.
Forms
lock · locks