locking

IPA/lɒk/
KK[lˈɑkɪŋ]IPA/lɑːk/

locking — 動詞

  • lockingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • lockings3rd person singular
  • lockinging-ing form
  • lockingedpast simple

1. to close and secure a door, window, or container by turning a key or pushing a b

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

上鎖

用鑰匙鎖門窗或容器

to close and secure a door, window, or container by turning a key or pushing a button so that it cannot be opened from the outside

例句

Nora turned the key and locked the front door before going to bed.

Nora 轉動鑰匙鎖上前門，然後上床睡覺。

lock + noun (door) for home security

Jack always locks his car doors as soon as he gets in.

Jack 一上車就會鎖上車門。

同義詞
  • fasten

    more general; can mean closing with a button, zip, or buckle, not just a lock

  • bolt

    specifically means sliding a metal bar across; sounds more secure

反義詞
  • unlock

    to open a lock with a key or button

文法句型

lock + noun

lock + adverb

noun + does/does not + lock + adverb

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 focuses on the action of securing an entrance or container, while sense 2 focuses on placing something inside a locked space. Sense 1 is the only sense that can be used intransitively ('This door locks easily').

常見錯誤

❌I locked the door with key.
✅I locked the door with a key.
💡A determiner (a / the) is needed before countable nouns like 'key'.

2. to place something valuable inside a container, cupboard, or room and close the

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

鎖藏

把貴重物收進上鎖處

to place something valuable inside a container, cupboard, or room and close the lock so that other people cannot take it

例句

Before boarding the train, Saira locked her laptop and wallet in her suitcase.

上火車前，Saira 把筆電和錢包鎖進手提箱裡。

lock + noun + in [container]

The night guard locks all the museum's gold artefacts in a steel vault every evening.

夜班警衛每天晚上把博物館的所有黃金文物鎖進鋼製保險庫裡。

同義詞
  • secure

    broader; can mean fixing firmly even without a lock (e.g. 'secure the rope')

  • store away

    focuses on putting aside for later; does not necessarily involve a lock

反義詞
  • take out

    to remove something from where it was locked away

文法句型

lock + noun + in/on/to + noun phrase

用法筆記

The locked location is typically introduced by 'in' (lock in a safe/drawer/cabinet) or 'to' (lock to a rack/post). The object must be something portable that could be stolen.

常見錯誤

❌I locked the kitchen before leaving.
✅I locked the silverware in the kitchen cabinet before leaving.
💡This sense requires stating where the object is placed, not simply that a lock was used.

3. to become stuck in a particular position so that movement is not possible for a

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

卡住

身體部位或零件卡住不動

to become stuck in a particular position so that movement is not possible for a short time

例句

After running for an hour, Yumi's knees locked and she could not stand up.

跑了一小時後，Yumi 的膝蓋卡住，她站不起來。

body part + locks (knees, back, jaw)

The wheels of the old cart locked suddenly when the driver tried to turn.

司機試著轉彎時，那輛舊馬車的輪子突然卡死了。

同義詞
  • stiffen

    specifically of body parts; suggests gradual tightening rather than sudden fixing

  • seize up

    informal; usually of machines or body parts becoming stuck and not working

反義詞
  • loosen

    to become less tight or fixed

  • free up

    to release from a stuck position; often used in mechanics

文法句型

noun (body part / mechanism) + lock(s)

noun + locked + adverb

用法筆記

Usually describes a body part (knee, back, jaw) or a mechanical part (wheel, brake, gear). The subject is the part that becomes stuck, not a person. Frequently paired with 'up' in informal usage ('My back locked up').

常見錯誤

❌I locked the door shut.' (ambiguous between sense 1 and 3; for sense 3 the subject must be the part itself)
✅The door lock mechanism locked and the door would not open.
💡When the door itself has a lock that jams, you still need a clear subject.