Relock

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To fasten something shut once more after it has been opened or unlocked, using its lock or bolt
2. Securing a door, case or device a second time by turning its key or latch back into the locked position
3. Closing and locking again something that was previously unlocked so that it cannot be opened without a key

Etymology: "Relock" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back", attached to "lock." The verb therefore means to lock something once more after it has been unlocked or opened, or to secure again something that was secured before. Its two parts are both old and transparent, so there is no hidden story here beyond the ordinary workings of English prefixes. The prefix "re-" comes from Latin, where it carried the sense "back" or "again," and English has used it freely to build verbs of repetition, such as "rewrite," "reboot," and "refill." Because it attaches so readily to existing verbs, speakers can coin a new "re-" form whenever they need one, and "relock" follows that pattern exactly.

Synonyms: relatch

Antonyms: unlock