belock

English

Etymology

From Middle English belouken, bilouken, from Old English belūcan (“to lock up, bring to an end”), from Proto-West Germanic *bilūkan (“to lock up”), equivalent to be- +‎ lock. Cognate with Middle Low German belûken (“to close, secure”), Middle High German belūchen, belouchen (“to enclose, shut in”), obsolete German belochen (“lock up, lock in, include”).

Verb

belock (third-person singular simple present belocks, present participle belocking, simple past and past participle belocked)

1. (archaic, transitive) To lock up or lock in place; hold tight; fasten.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     This is the hand, which, with a vow'd contract, was fast belocked in thine.

   • 1814, H. Finn, “The Cathedral”, in The Lady's Monthly Museum:

     The brawny mariner belocks the line / Within his horny palm, and to the rude / Timeing of a tuneless lay, the frolic sail / Quickly upclews, and wraps it to the yard.

   • 1843, James Grassie, Legends of the highlands of Scotland, page 50:

     After this manner he reached an eminence called the Allanowr in the vicinity of Strone, and here he observed two figures, reclining in listless langour on the moss; on advancing a little farther he recognised the features of his chieftain's son, his hands belocked in those of a female who was soothing him "as his drooped head sank gradually low!"

Synonyms

• (lock up):
• (hold tight): clasp, grasp, grip; See also Thesaurus:grasp

Anagrams

• Bockle