interlock
Americanverb (used without object)
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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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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.
Gentle vibrations encouraged the particles to interlock and strengthen the material, while stronger vibrations caused the network to unravel.
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
Once she is allowed to return behind the wheel, she will be placed under five years of supervised probation with an ignition interlock device, with the potential of three years of unsupervised probation.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025
I’m interested in the scripts on the field and off, and the plotlines that interlock.
From Slate • Jan. 30, 2024
We had—or rather Gretchen had—found a way to break down the communication barrier and interlock with another species.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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.
