combination lock

American  

noun

1. a lock opened by rotating one or more specially marked dials a given number of times through a particular set of positions in a prescribed order and direction.

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combination lock British  

noun

1. a type of lock that can only be opened when a set of dials releasing the tumblers of the lock are turned to show a specific sequence of numbers

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Etymology

Origin of combination lock

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

The landowner said issues on his Faversham site started in June, when he said his locks were changed to a combination lock for which he did not have the code.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

My favorite puzzle turned out to involve a combination lock affixed to a basket, in which uncovering the solution required us to listen to a monologue that alluded to famous cats in history and culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2024

In the United States, nuclear weapons are “kept under cryptographic combination lock to prevent unauthorized use,” Hickey said.

From Scientific American • Mar. 22, 2022

Also, at the start of the semester, he set the combination lock at the noon position and it remained unchanged.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 18, 2021

She looped it around the bike and the rack and clicked it all together and spun the combination lock before I had crossed the curb.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt