lockpick

American  

[lok-pik] / ˈlɒkˌpɪk /

noun

1. a device such as a sharp instrument or wire that enables a person, especially a burglar, to open a lock without using a key.

   He used a lockpick to open the door and stole the papers.

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Etymology

Origin of lockpick

First recorded in 1790–1800; lock ¹ ( def. ) + pick ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

For example, to build a lockpick you need to buy a turnip from a vending machine and take it to a cage where an unseen animal lives in a lab room.

From Washington Post

After feeding it the turnip you must hand it a paper clip and ask it to fashion a heart, and after it hands it to you, give it back to the critter and ask it to flatten it to get the shape that you need for a lockpick.

From Washington Post

“Smog is like a lockpick that opens the door of infection,” said Zielonka, who works at the Medical University of Warsaw.

From Washington Times

Kaz had to squint, but he recognized Eroll Aerts, Rollins’ best lockpick and safecracker.

From Literature

“You might say I’m a lockpick.”

From Literature