: a removable lock with a shackle that can be passed through a staple or link and then secured
padlock
transitive verb
Examples of padlock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During Casarez's trial, prosecutors showed the jury photos taken of the family's refrigerator and Benjamin's bedroom door — both of which were locked with padlocks, the outlets reported.
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Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
Lunn took out a small key and struggled for a long while to open a padlock that secured a heavy chain around the door handles.
—Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
The train conductor told a BNSF investigator that a misaligned switch led to the crash and that a padlock that was supposed to be attached to the switch was missing, the documents said.
BNSF Railway operates trains on the rail to supply coal to a power plant in Nebraska City.
—Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 26 July 2024
But padlocks aren’t handcuffs; tough civil enforcement is not tossing people in jail.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for padlock 
Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024
Lunn took out a small key and struggled for a long while to open a padlock that secured a heavy chain around the door handles.
—Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
The train conductor told a BNSF investigator that a misaligned switch led to the crash and that a padlock that was supposed to be attached to the switch was missing, the documents said.
BNSF Railway operates trains on the rail to supply coal to a power plant in Nebraska City.
—Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 26 July 2024
But padlocks aren’t handcuffs; tough civil enforcement is not tossing people in jail.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for padlock
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'padlock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near padlock
Cite this Entry
“Padlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/padlock. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
padlock
noun
pad·lock
ˈpad-ˌläk 
: a removable lock with a curved piece that snaps into a catch
padlock
verb
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