nonlocking
|non-lock-ing|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈlɑkɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈlɒkɪŋ/
not producing or having a lock / prevents jamming
Etymology
'nonlocking' originates from modern English, formed by the negative prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') attached to the present participle 'locking' from the verb 'lock'.
'lock' comes from Old English 'loc' meaning 'bolt, lock, enclosure' and is related to Proto-Germanic roots (compare Old High German 'loc'). The productive prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') has been used in English since Middle English to form negatives; the compound 'nonlocking' is a modern descriptive formation.
Initially the elements meant 'not' + 'forming a lock' or 'not having a locking action'; over time the compound has been used specifically in technical and mechanical contexts to mean either 'preventing lock/jam' or 'without a locking mechanism'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
designed or arranged so that it does not lock or jam; preventing the formation of a lock (often used for mechanical parts, e.g., a nonlocking nut or mechanism).
The bike's quick-release axle is nonlocking to allow fast wheel removal during repairs.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/06 03:23