lock v.1
1. (UK und.) to act as a criminal receiver.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Account 19 July n.p.: Loking Goods, is selling them outright to Persons who make it their Business to buy and dispose of stolen Goods. |
2. (US prison) to occupy a cell.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | ‘Convicts’ Jargon’ in AS VI:6 439: lock, to, v. To occupy a cell. ‘There’s a gee who locks under me.’. | |
| letter 2 May in Joint (1972) 50: When J.P. suggested we move out and get a two-man cell (called ‘locking’), I agreed. | |
| letter 12 Oct. in Joint (1972) 190: Doug, the beautiful trumpet player I locked with in Raiford. | |
| Where The Money Was (2004) 239: I had got to know Tenuto because he locked in the 7 block. | |
| House of Slammers 54: They had locked next to each other. | |
| Riker’s 90: The main guy that would lock across from me, he was one of the higher-ups in the [Latin] Kings. |
3. of a pimp, to ensure a prostitute’s fidelity, emotional and economic.
| Gentleman of Leisure 17: My regulars – who I’ve copped and locked – that’s Sandy and Kitty and Linda – they each made around seventy-five thousand last year. |
4. (US Und.) to imprison.
| City Police 398: I locked him once. | |
 | ‘Kennington Where It Started’ 🎵 Why you wanna lock my bredrin? | |
| ‘Fraud’ 🎵 Couldn’t believe they locked my darg, I feel it for him, and it hurt me hard. |
In compounds
1. (orig. US prison) an instance of the entire prison population being confined to the cells and deprived of exercise or association; thus as v.
| Animal Factory 45: [A strike] would bring a lockdown of everyone while the leaders were rounded up. | |
| Death Row xvi: Locked down means kept on cell restriction. | |
| Homeboy 180: Every P.A. in Vacaville blared over and over: ‘Lockdown, Lockdown . . . Remain standing by your bunks for count’. | |
| (con. 1975–6) Steel Toes 5: For those of us on lockdown their nightly sessions break up the monotony. | |
| ‘Pure’ in Love Without 162: If Jesus was in lockdown, he’d turn the water into pruno. | |
| Running the Books 157: You gotta love lockdowns. |
2. solitary confinement.
| Monster (1994) 212: With the exception of me, all the homies were taken off lockdown. |
3. in a non-prison environment.
| Them (2008) 13: So what honey kept you on lockdown for three whole days? | |
| This Is How You Lose Her 32: A lot of the Dominican girls in town were on some serious lockdown [...] these girls weren’t allowed to hang out. | |
| Crongton Knights 19: ‘You wanna keep that tongue on lockdown before the feds arrest your ass for perving’. | |
| ‘Broken’ in Broken 3: Jimmy was maybe seven, he and Danny were being punished by a ‘lockdown’ for some infraction. |
a session of drinking that begins after the public house or bar has officially closed for the night.
| ‘Sir Gawayne and the Grene Knight’ in Indep. Weekend Rev. 26 Dec. 1: Many a lockke-in he hadde in Bertilak’s barre Drynking. | |
| Grits 151: Third lock-in this week. Cunts t’get out at arf bastard four in-a morn like when ther all pissed up an settled in. | |
| Guardian 4 July 1/3: [He] allegedly held senior managment meetings during ‘lock-ins’ at the Green Dragon pub. |
see separate entry.
In phrases
see under asshole n.
1. (US Und.) to imprison; to lock into a cell.
| Central Sl. 34: locked down [...] ‘You ain’t seen me around, bro, I been locked down.’. | |
| ‘Cocaine in the Back of the Ride’ 🎵 And if I’m locked down then tell that shit might go for you. | |
| Running the Books 58: At 6.30 p.m. the men would be locked down in their cells, and the women would descend from the pruison tower. |
2. to place in solitary confinement; in non-prison contexts, to isolate oneself.
| Green River Rising 66: He’s locked down, ain’t he? | |
| Rakim Told Me 32: Returning home to Queens after touring [...] they put themselves on lock-down at Chung King studios in Manhattan for three months. |
3. (US) to commit oneself to course of action.
| ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] I see y’ll as my nigguhs for real, and about to lock shit down. |
to become part of a plan, a group etc, to join.
| Cannibals 18: The powers had committed themselves. It was locked in. | |
| Guardian 3 Sept. 🌐 Vivendi had been looking for an outright sale of its entertainment arm but will retain 20% in the combined company. It will be locked into the stake until at least 2006. |
1. (W.I.) to put a choke-hold on someone’s neck in order to immobilize and then rob them; also known as choke-and-rob.
![[WI]](/static/img/flags/wi.png "West Indies") | cited in Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage (1996). |
2. (UK black) to reject or cease communication with (a partner).
| What They Was 170: She’ll lock me off because I say I can’t meet her . |
see under barn n.2
(Aus. juv.) to fight.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Summer Glare 108: Why did you lock on with Nancy this arvo? |
see separate entry.