lockdown
[ lok-doun ]
/ ˈlɒkˌdaʊn /
noun
the confining of prisoners to their cells, as following a riot or other disturbance.
a security measure taken during an emergency to prevent people from leaving or entering a building: The school remains under lockdown due to police activity in the area.
Nearby words
lock-step, lock-up, lockable, lockage, lockbox, lockdown, locke, locke, david ross, locke, john, lockean, locked
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for lockdown
British Dictionary definitions for lockdown
lockdown
/ (ˈlɒkˌdəʊn) /
noun
US a security measure in which those inside a building such as a prison, school, or hospital are required to remain confined in it for a timemany schools remained under lockdown yesterday
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
Word Origin and History for lockdown
lockdown
also lock-down, from 1940s in various mechanical senses, from lock (v.) + down (adv.). Prison sense is by 1975, American English.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper