wheel lock

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noun

an old type of gunlock in which sparks are produced by the friction of a small steel wheel against a piece of iron pyrites.

a gun having such a gunlock.

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Origin of wheel lock

First recorded in 1660–70

Words nearby wheel lock

wheel horse, wheelhouse, wheelie, wheelie bin, wheeling, wheel lock, wheelman, Wheelock, wheel of fortune, wheel of life, wheels

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

How to use wheel lock in a sentence

One of the most common ways to silence DNA is to add a chemical group to a gene so that, like a wheel lock, the gene gets “stuck” as it’s trying make a protein.
These Mice Pups Inherited Immunity From Their Parents—But Not Through DNA|Shelly Fan|November 2, 2021|Singularity Hub
While the desk sergeant ran a background check, he was roughed up by another officer in the lock-up.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face?|Goldie Taylor|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Now they will definitely lock Navalny in prison,” one of the women in the crowd said.
Russia’s Rebel In Chief Escapes House Arrest|Anna Nemtsova|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were racing toward the corner of Tompkins and Myrtle avenues with Johnson at the wheel when another call came over the radio.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Who knew that a competition where you clutch the hand of another man and lock eyes across a table could be this damn gay.
High-End Pervs Film Benedict Cumberbatch and Reese Witherspoon Sucking Face|Amy Zimmerman|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In many ways, she seems a lock for the win, but her atheism puts her entire character in question.
The Good Wife’s Religion Politics: Voters Have No Faith in Alicia's Atheism|Regina Lizik|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Never again would he sit behind that wheel rejoicing in the insolence of speed.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The place was used as a lock-up for some time after the incorporation, and the old irons were kept on show for years.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
He deposited it on the vacant seat, clambered up behind the wheel, and started.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
I do not know—I do not dare to believe—that I shall live to hear that key grating in the lock.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The non-elastic character of water made it unsuitable for a machine requiring a fly-wheel.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for wheel lock

wheel lock

noun

a gunlock formerly in use in which the firing mechanism was activated by sparks produced by friction between a small steel wheel and a flint

a gun having such a lock

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