Home › Words › A › airlockairlockairlock means A sealed, airtight chamber, such as in a manned spacecraft or submarine, used to provide access to and from the sealed area without allowing air out or water in.EtymologyFrom air + lock.nounA sealed, airtight chamber, such as in a manned spacecraft or submarine, used to provide access to and from the sealed area without allowing air out or water in.e.g.“At the head of the machine, we are shown the airlock through which people have to pass to work on the cutting head, as it operates under pressure to prevent leakages into the tunnel.” — 2022 March 23, Paul Bigland, “HS2 is just 'passing through'”, in RAIL, number 953, page 42:A vestibule, foyer or entranceway with doors to the exterior on one end and doors to the interior on the other, functioning to keep indoor and outdoor air, humidity, and air temperatures separate.verbTo secure with an airlock.To dispose of through an airlock.e.g.“Delighted by the unexpected two-pelt bonus, he airlocked the meat. Wookiee tasted oily and foul.” — 2011 June 28, Kevin Anderson, Tales of the Bounty Hunters: Star Wars Legends, Random House Worlds, →ISBN:To firewall, to maintain an ethical wall.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.airlocked 78% match — Equipped with an airlock. vs airlock →manlock 69% match — An airlock through which workers pass into a chamber of compressed air, especially used in mines. vs airlock →lockchamber 61% match — A section of a canal used to raise or lower vessels. vs airlock →suitport 60% match — An alternative to an airlock in space flight, consisting of a detachable space suit that is kept sealed against the outside of the spacecraft or habitat while not in use. vs airlock →airtightly 58% match — Sealed in an airtight manner. vs airlock →sealocked 57% match — Of a geographical region: accessible only through a body of seawater, and having no access by land. vs airlock →airtight 54% match — Impermeable to air or other gases. vs airlock →airdock 53% match — A very large hangar for the storage of airships. vs airlock →