dead lockdead-lockn.
1. A condition or situation in which it is impossible to proceed or act; a complete stand-still.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > absence of movement > [noun] > state of cessation of movement
standinga1398
stay1525
stand1584
consistence1598
still-stand1600
station1603
standstilla1646
dead lock1781
the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > hindering completely or preventing > [noun] > a check or rebuff > complete check or impasse
checkmatec1440
blank1542
nonplus1582
noncome1600
choke1674
dead lock1781
impasse1851
no go1870
standoff1876
gridlock1981
1781 R. B. Sheridan Critic 111 I have them all at a dead lock! for every one of them is afraid to let go first.
1858 N. Hawthorne Jrnl. 6 Jan. in French & Ital. Notebks. (1980) 1 In Newgate Street, there was such a number of market-carts, that we almost came to a dead-lock with some of them.
1888 J. Bryce Amer. Commonw. I. v. 60 It often happens that one party has a majority in the Senate, another party in the House, and then..a deadlock results.
2. An ordinary lock which opens and shuts only with a key, as opposed to a spring lock; sometimes, locally, a padlock. [dead adj. 24b]
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > building and constructing equipment > fastenings > [noun] > lock > other types of lock
inlock1488
treble lock1680
French lock1787
ringlock1789
thumb-lock1801
bar-lock1828
permutation lock1835
check-lock1850
pin lock1851
time lock1858
garret-lock1860
dead lock1866
seal-lock1871
dead-latch1874
Bramah-lock1875
cylinder lock1878
police lock1910
ziplock1956
solenoid lock1976
D-lock1990
1866 S. Timmins Industr. Hist. Birmingham 87 Dead locks are those which have only one large bolt, worked by the key.
Derivatives
ˈdead-ˌlock v. (transitive) to bring to a deadlock or stand-still; intransitive, to come to a deadlock.
ΚΠ
1892 N.Y. Nation 4 Aug. 81/2 They..have deadlocked the Legislature.
1903 N.Y. Evening Post 25 Nov. 6 The Legislature would have deadlocked over the vote had not Gov. Odell come to his rescue.
ˈdeadlocked adj. brought to a deadlock.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > hindering completely or preventing > [adjective] > prevented or checked > completely stuck or at an impasse
stalec1470
blank1542
enterprised1560
nonplus1589
bogged1605
nonplussed1606
blanked1611
stymied1862
deadlocked1880
stalemated1903
banjaxed1939
snookered1961
gridlock1983
1880 Daily Tel. 17 Feb. An entire population is dead~locked through no fault of its own.
1897 Rev. of Reviews (N.Y. ed.) Jan. 10/2 Mr. Cleveland makes it perfectly plain that the struggle going on in Cuba is a useless and ruinous one,—a deadlocked situation.
1931 F. Buck & E. Anthony Bring 'em back Alive 297 For several seconds we remained deadlocked, the animal making a perfect bedlam of the mess-room with his cries of rage.
1968 Guardian 24 Oct. 9/5 The deadlocked Vietnam peace talks.
ˈdeadˌlocking n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > hindering completely or preventing > [noun] > a check or rebuff > complete check or impasse > fact or condition of being stuck or at impasse
sticking1564
set1613
dead set1806
nonplussation1833
stickfast1835
deadlocking1882
jib1893
constipation1917
1882 N.Y. Tribune 3 May The disgraceful deadlocking which the session of 1882 has witnessed.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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n.1781