Airlocked

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Shut inside a chamber that has been sealed so no air can pass in or out ; cut off from the rest of a space by a locked airtight barrier
2. Confined within a pressurized compartment fitted with sealed doors ; isolated from surrounding areas by an airtight lock that stops the flow of air
3. Enclosed in a sealed chamber that cannot be entered or left freely ; separated from other areas by a barrier that keeps atmosphere from moving between them

Etymology: In Ulster English, "airlock" is a verb meaning to stop in one's tracks, and its past participle has taken on a separate life as an adjective meaning drunk. The usual explanation links the adjective to a diesel engine's fuel cut-out, which shuts down when air enters the fuel system and stalls the engine. On this view, a person "airlocked" is brought to a sudden halt, much as the engine is. The link is plausible but unproven, and it rests on a single dictionary of Ulster English. The sense itself is documented in Irish slang collections, where the adjective is glossed simply as "the worse for drink," so the dialect use is well attested even if its exact origin is not.

Synonyms: sealed