padlock

Everyday

1. A padlock is a lock you can take off and move, with a curved metal bar (a shackle) that clicks into the body, opened with a key or a combination. tree →
2. To padlock something is to lock it with a padlock. tree →
3. A small padlock picture on a website means the connection is secure. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life padlocks lock bike chains, school lockers, gates and sheds. In online safety lessons the padlock in the browser's address bar shows a secure site, though it does not prove the site is honest. In maths puzzles, combination padlocks give counting problems. Phrases: «a combination padlock», «padlock the gate», «the padlock icon».

Examples

• I put a padlock on my locker at school. tree →
• Dad padlocked the shed so nobody could take the bikes. tree →
• My padlock has a three-number code. tree →
• A three-digit combination padlock has 1000 possible codes, from 000 to 999. tree →
• The rusty padlock would not open. tree →
• Look for the padlock in the address bar before typing a password. tree →
• The farmer padlocked the gate to keep the cows in. tree →
• Prince Ivan dug it up and saw an iron plate with twelve padlocks on it. tree →

Note

Countable: a padlock, padlocks. Past: padlocked. A padlock icon means the data is encrypted, not that the website is safe or trustworthy. Counting codes: digits 0–9 on each wheel, so 10 × 10 × 10 = 1000 for three wheels.