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mortise lock

American  

noun

  1. a lock housed within a mortise in a door or the like, so that the lock mechanism is covered on both sides.

mortise lock British  

noun

  1. a lock set into a mortise in a door so that the mechanism of the lock is enclosed by the door

"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

Etymology

Origin of mortise lock

First recorded in 1770–80

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.

Iron rod threaded through three rusted loops, old mortise lock with a rusty cam.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

The body of the lock is cast iron; and, seeing that there are no strains upon a mortise lock, it is quite as good as if it was of wrought iron.

From Scientific American, Volume 40, No. 13, March 29, 1879 A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures by Various

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.