lockup
lockup — noun
- lockupsingular
- lockupsplural
1. a small cell in a police station or courthouse where people are held briefly bef
a small cell in a police station or courthouse where people are held briefly before appearing in court
Constable Beatrix locked the shoplifter in the tiny lockup beneath the courthouse.
lockup as a small courthouse holding cell
Megan spent a freezing night in the police lockup after the protest turned violent.
The village lockup was no bigger than a garden shed, with one barred window.
Felipe could hear someone sobbing in the next lockup all night long.
The old courthouse lockup had held prisoners since the eighteen-hundreds.
- jail
more general; can refer to larger, longer-term facilities
- holding cell
more formal term for a pre-hearing cell
- drunk tank
informal; specifically for intoxicated people held overnight
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'jail' and 'prison': a lockup is specifically a small, short-term holding facility, often in a police station or courthouse.
常見錯誤
2. a secure building or garage, usually rented, where people store valuable items s
a secure building or garage, usually rented, where people store valuable items such as a car
Piotr rented a lockup on the edge of town to store his vintage motorbike.
lockup as a rented storage unit for vehicles
The band kept their old amplifiers and drum kits inside a dusty lockup.
A row of grey lockups stood beside the railway, each with a metal door.
Bilal cleared out his father's lockup and found a stack of vinyl records.
The lockup was broken into last month, but nothing valuable had been taken.
- storage unit
more general; often refers to self-storage facilities
- garage
specifically for vehicle storage; can be attached to a house
- lock-up garage
UK term for a rented garage away from the home
3. the action of securing a building or object by locking it, or the condition of s
the action of securing a building or object by locking it, or the condition of staying locked
The lockup of the entire office building starts at ten o'clock every night.
lockup as a nightly security routine
Talia checked every door twice during the final lockup of the office.
Devika is responsible for the lockup of the warehouse after each shift ends.
The old photographs stayed in lockup inside a metal trunk for decades.
During the prison's nightly lockup, every heavy door slams shut at once.
- unlocking
the reverse action of releasing a lock
用法筆記
Unlike the two-word verb 'lock up,' this is a noun referring to the action or the resulting state. Often used in set phrases like 'nightly lockup' or 'final lockup.'