interlock
Americanverb (used without object)
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interlocks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interlocked,
past participle, past
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interlocking
present participle
-
to fit into each other, as parts of machinery, so that all action is synchronized.
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to interweave or interlace, one with another.
The branches of the trees interlock to form a natural archway.
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Railroads. (of switches, signals, etc.) to operate together in a prearranged order.
verb (used with object)
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interlocks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
interlocked,
past participle, past
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interlocking
present participle
-
to lock one with another.
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to fit (parts) together to ensure coordinated action.
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Railroads. to arrange (switches, signals, etc.) to effect a predetermined sequence of movement.
noun
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the fact or condition of interlocking or of being interlocked.
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the existence or an instance of an interlocking directorate.
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a device for preventing a mechanism from being set in motion when another mechanism is in such a position that the two operating simultaneously might produce undesirable results.
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Also called ignition interlock. a device or system that prevents an automotive engine from starting until the seat belt for any occupied front seat is fastened.
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a stretch fabric made with a circular knitting machine having two alternating sets of long and short needles.
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Movies. a device for synchronizing the action of a camera and sound recorder.
verb
noun
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the act of interlocking or the state of being interlocked
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a device, esp one operated electromechanically, used in a logic circuit or electrical safety system to prevent an activity being initiated unless preceded by certain events
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a closely knitted fabric
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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interlocksimple
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interlockssimple
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have interlockedperfect
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has interlockedperfect
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am interlockingprogressive
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are interlockingprogressive
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is interlockingprogressive
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have been interlockingperfect progressive
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has been interlockingperfect progressive
Past
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interlockedsimple
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had interlockedperfect
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was interlockingprogressive
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were interlockingprogressive
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had been interlockingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of interlock
Explanation
When things interlock with each other, they fit or work together. When a bicycle is properly built, all of its separate parts interlock. The parts of a machine have to interlock for it to work well: gears must interlock with each other, for example. You can also interlock fingers with another person, holding hands so that they're laced together. This verb, dating from the 17th century, combines inter-, "between" and lock, "to close or to lock," from an Old English root.
Vocabulary lists containing interlock
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Maerl beds may closely resemble corals but they are in fact thousands of pieces of free-living calcified seaweed that can interlock to create a carpet brimming with life.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
"Let's take sand as an example. Sand is smooth and convex-shaped, meaning it cannot interlock from grain to grain," PhD student Youhan Sohn said.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 15, 2026
Also like MBS and CDS, new financial assets have begun to interlock in odd, hard-to-understand ways with traditional financial products.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
Oh, did I say that many of these boxes are designed to interlock one on top of another as a system?
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
His hands go behind his back, and his fingers interlock.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Park’s directorial vernacular, which pairs brutal subject matter with black comedy, interlocks neatly with Nguyen’s satirical style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2024
The subfloor needs to be in the same plane so the LVP interlocks and stays locked when you walk on it.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
The pizza will also be served in a round pizza box, which is industrially compostable and interlocks with other boxes for stability.
From The Verge ● Oct. 22, 2019
Highlights include that we have laws requiring seatbelt use, prohibiting texting while driving and using ignition interlocks on people with DUI convictions.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 12, 2017
She interlocks her hand with mine as we enter the treatment salon.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
"Ube really is, I would say, very interlocked with the Filipino identity," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The school alarm would pierce the air and teachers would instruct us to slide from our chairs, crouch under our desks facing the floor, and place our hands, fingers interlocked, over our necks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
That thread is exquisitely interlocked with a sensitive, sharp portrait of the interiority of someone searching for agency while in the throes of dementia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2025
There were no fixed guards preventing access to the blades from the underside and there were not any interlocked guards which would stop the rotating blades.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2024
The new, hard problem will be to cope with the dawning, intensifying realization of just how interlocked we are.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
She now presides over three interlocking sagas, which fans call the "Maasiverse": "Throne of Glass," "Crescent City" and "ACOTAR," which together account for the sales of more than 75 million books worldwide in 40 languages.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Those patterns, according to the model, would help neighboring DNA molecules align with one another much like two interlocking spiral staircases.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
Set in Mexico, the film stars Mexican-born Anthony Quinn as a brilliant but aging matador facing interlocking personal crises, and Maureen O’Hara as the wealthy American who sets her cap for him.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Astrolabes are metallic disks with multi-layered, interlocking components that were historically used to tell the time, map the stars, the direction of Mecca and the motion of the sky.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
Alone neither architect could have done it, but together, Burnham believed, he and Root had the will and the interlocking powers of organization and design to succeed.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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