interlock

[in-ter-lok, in-ter-lok, in-ter-lok]

verb (used without object)

1. to fit into each other, as parts of machinery, so that all action is synchronized.

2. to interweave or interlace, one with another.

   The branches of the trees interlock to form a natural archway.

3. Railroads.,  (of switches, signals, etc.) to operate together in a prearranged order.

verb (used with object)

1. to lock one with another.

2. to fit (parts) together to ensure coordinated action.

3. Railroads.,  to arrange (switches, signals, etc.) to effect a predetermined sequence of movement.

noun

1. the fact or condition of interlocking or of being interlocked.

2. the existence or an instance of an interlocking directorate.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. a stretch fabric made with a circular knitting machine having two alternating sets of long and short needles.

6. Movies.,  a device for synchronizing the action of a camera and sound recorder.

interlock

verb

1. to join or be joined firmly, as by a mutual interconnection of parts

noun

1. the act of interlocking or the state of being interlocked

2. 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

3. a closely knitted fabric

adjective

1. (of fabric) closely knitted

Other Word Forms

• interlocker noun
• uninterlocked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of interlock¹

First recorded in 1625–35; inter- + lock ¹

Example Sentences

In July, the two squeezed next to each other on Baca’s couch at the lawyer’s Long Beach home, hands interlocked.

From Los Angeles Times

In terms of woodworking, he avoids table saws because they interrupt his workflow, and he favors interlocking joinery for strength.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Gone were the waves, the sunshine and the blonde-haired girls that populated his earlier work — replaced with interlocking songs that seemed to form a single piece of music.

From Los Angeles Times

The commission said that the UK's water system has suffered "deep-rooted, systemic and interlocking failures over the years".

From BBC

Related Words

• interlace 
• interlink 
• intertwine