unlock
/ʌnˈlɑk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.90 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To undo or open a lock or something locked by, for example, turning a key, or selecting a combination.
Transitive verb
verb
To obtain access to something; to meet the requirements of a security or protection system.
Transitive verb
verb
To configure (a mobile phone) so that it is not bound to any particular carrier.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "I unlocked the door and walked in."
- "I unlocked the dictionary article so I could edit it."
- "This computer game is shareware, but you can pay for a code to unlock the full version."
- "Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field."
- "The combination of the new station and road improvements is expected to unlock up to 14,000 new homes, with the council saying no more than 2,500 homes can be built at Beaulieu and north east Chelmsford without the station."
- "The discovery of a clue unlocked the mystery."
Etymology
From Middle English unloken, unlouken, onlouken, from Old English onlūcan (“to unlock”), equivalent to un- + lock. Cognate with Dutch ontluiken (“to unlock”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ʌnˈlɑk/
- British English: /ʌnˈlɒk/