Civil Engineering. an airtight chamber permitting passage to or from a space, as in a caisson, in which the air is kept under pressure.
the impedance in the functioning of a pump or a system of piping caused by the presence of an air bubble; vapor lock.
First recorded in 1855–60
First recorded in 1855–60
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Customers still experiencing ongoing problems as isolated issues were likely to be affected by an air lock, SWW said, and those affected should contact it.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025
Demond pushed his way through a double-door air lock and into a series of chilly storerooms.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2023
Then, in an air lock and still suited, each will take a 10-minute shower that sprays them from all sides with a chemical detergent.
From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2021
When he attempted to reenter the air lock leading to the space capsule, Mr. Leonov could not climb through the hatch.
From Washington Post • Oct. 12, 2019
She unplugged her air hose and unlatched the steel door and entered an air lock, and Tony Johnson followed her.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
