lockup

[ lok-uhp ]

/ ˈlɒkˌʌp /

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See synonyms for lockup on Thesaurus.com

noun

a jail, especially a local one for temporary detention.

the act of locking up or the state of being locked up.

a temporary imprisonment or detention, as of suspects or prisoners.

a stock that has been held by an individual as a long-term investment, or that a brokerage firm is required by a regulation to hold for a certain period of time before it can be sold.

any investment or credit instrument, as a renewed loan, in which capital is tied up for a long time.

Printing.

the entire body of type and cuts locked up in a chase preparatory to printing or platemaking.
the act or procedure of locking up type and cuts in a chase.

Automotive. a sudden stopping of the rotation of a wheel.

British Informal. a rented locker, storage space, or garage.

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Origin of lockup

First recorded in 1760–70; noun use of verb phrase lock up

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lockup in a sentence

“I think for trans men who are dating every time they hook up they have another coming out,” Sandler said.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In that photo, Merabet has a big smile that spreads across his whole face and lights up his eyes.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We won't find out this season, though it comes up occasionally.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Kickstarter is one start-up platform that seems to have realized the danger.
Design Your Own Dinosaur: The Era of Custom DNA|Justin Jones|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The most recent issue contains detailed instructions for building car bombs, and the magazine frequently draws up hit-lists.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What need to look to right or left when you are swallowing up free mile after mile of dizzying road?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Some weeks after, the creditor chanced to be in Boston, and in walking up Tremont street, encountered his enterprising friend.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
In less than ten minutes, the bivouac was broken up, and our little army on the march.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The bride elect rushes up to him, and so they both step down to the foot-lights.
Physiology of The Opera|John H. Swaby (AKA "Scrici")

British Dictionary definitions for lockup

lock up

verb (adverb)

Also: lock in, lock away (tr) to imprison or confine

to lock or secure the doors, windows, etc, of (a building)

(tr) to keep or store securelysecrets locked up in history

(tr) to invest (funds) so that conversion into cash is difficult

printing to secure (type, etc) in a chase or in the bed of the printing machine by tightening the quoins

noun lockup

the action or time of locking up

a jail or block of cells

British a small shop with no attached quarters for the owner or shopkeeper

British a garage or storage place separate from the main premises

stock exchange an investment that is intended to be held for a relatively long period

printing the pages of type held in a chase by the positioning of quoins

adjective

lock-up British and NZ (of premises) without living accommodationa lock-up shop

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with lockup

lock up

Close a house or place of work, fastening all the doors and windows, as in The attendant locks up at eleven o'clock every night, or Did you remind Abby to lock up? [Late 1500s]

Invest in something not easily converted into cash, as in Most of their assets were locked up in real estate. [Late 1600s]

lock someone up. Confine or imprison someone, as in The princes were locked up in the Tower of London. [c. 1300]