letterlocking means the securing of a letter without an envelope, by folding and cutting so that portions of the paper can be interlocked. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “letterlocking” is a great word
LETTERLOCKING — [Noun] The securing of a letter without an envelope, by folding and cutting the paper so that portions can be interlocked to prevent tampering. From letter (a written message) + locking (the act of fastening or securing); coined in 2009 by researcher Jana Dambrogio. Unlike sealing (which applies an external agent like wax) or encryption (which scrambles the written word), letterlocking is a structural secrecy wrought from the parchment or paper itself. It is the intricate tuck of a triangular flap into a slit of its own making, the crisp geometry of a diplomat’s dispatch, and the subtle tear that betrays an intercepting hand—a quiet testament that before we trusted ciphers, we trusted craft.
Etymology
From letter + locking; coined in 2009 by researcher Jana Dambrogio.
noun
- The securing of a letter without an envelope, by folding and cutting so that portions of the paper can be interlocked.