padlock

/ˈpadˌlɒk/

padlock

English Noun Top 28,475

Definition

A detachable lock that can be used to secure something by means of a sliding or hinged shackle

Etymology

From earlier pad lock (19th c.); Middle English padlock, padlokke, from pad-, of unknown origin, + lok (“lock”). Perhaps originally a lock for a pad (“gate”), or a gate opening to a path, or a lock for a basket or pannier, from UK dialect pad (“a pannier”).