rough lock

[ ruhf-lok ]

noun

a chain, rope, braking shoe, etc., that on a downward slope keeps a wheel from turning, a log from rolling, or a runner from moving; a downhill brake: The steep terrain put a harsh strain on the rough lock, but the mules were patient and we got that wagon down all in one piece.

Origin of rough lock

¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Words Nearby rough lock

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

How to use rough lock in a sentence

They groped along to the door of the bank shanty, and began fumbling with their wire picks at the rough lock.
Strange Stories | Grant Allen
Brit, he reasoned, could not have known before he started that his rough-lock had been tampered with, else he would have fixed it.
The Quirt | B.M. Bower
"He'd no business to start down if his rough-lock wasn't all right," he said.
The Quirt | B.M. Bower

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