Lock vs. Look — What's the Difference?

A device operated by a key, combination, or keycard and used, as on a door, for holding, closing, or securing.

To employ one's sight, especially in a given direction or on a given object

A section of a waterway, such as a canal, closed off with gates, in which vessels in transit are raised or lowered by raising or lowering the water level of that section.

To search

A mechanism in a firearm for exploding the charge.

To turn one's glance or gaze

An interlocking or entanglement of elements or parts.

To turn one's attention; attend

(Sports) A hold in wrestling or self-defense that is secured on a part of an opponent's body.

To turn one's expectations

A secure hold; control

To seem or appear to be

A sure thing; a certainty

To face in a specified direction

A length or curl of hair; a tress.

To turn one's eyes on

Often locks The hair of the head.

To convey by one's expression

A small wisp or tuft, as of wool or cotton.

To have an appearance of conformity with

To fasten the lock of

To appear to be

To shut or make secure with or as if with locks

The act or instance of looking

To confine or exclude by or as if by means of a lock

A gaze or glance expressive of something

To fix in place so that movement or escape is impossible; hold fast

Appearance or aspect

To sight and follow (a moving target) automatically

Looks Physical appearance, especially when pleasing.

To aim (a weapon or other device) at a moving target so as to follow it automatically

A distinctive, unified manner of dress or fashion

To clasp or link firmly; intertwine or interlock

To try to see, to pay attention to with one’s eyes.

To bind in close struggle or battle

(intransitive) As an intransitive verb, often with "at".

To equip (a waterway) with locks.

As a transitive verb, often in the relative clause as direct object.}}

To pass (a vessel) through a lock.

To appear, to seem.

To invest (funds) in such a way that they cannot easily be converted into cash.

(copulative) To give an appearance of being.

To arrange or secure (an interest rate) for a loan.

To search for, to try to find.

To end the processing of (a magnetic tape or disk) in such a way as to deny access to its contents.

To face or present a view.

To protect (a file) from changes or deletion.

To expect or anticipate.

To become fastened by or as if by means of a lock

(transitive) To express or manifest by a look.

To become entangled or jammed; interlock.

To make sure of, to see to.

To become rigid or immobile

To show oneself in looking.

To pass through a lock or locks in a waterway.

To look at; to turn the eyes toward.

Something used for fastening, which can only be opened with a key or combination.

To seek; to search for.

A mutex or other token restricting access to a resource.

To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence.

A segment of a canal or other waterway enclosed by gates, used for raising and lowering boats between levels.

(baseball) To look at a pitch as a batter without swinging at it.

(gun mechanisms) The firing mechanism.

Pay attention.

Complete control over a situation.

The action of looking; an attempt to see.

Something sure to be a success.

(often plural) Physical appearance, visual impression.

(rugby) A player in the scrum behind the front row, usually the tallest members of the team.

A facial expression.

A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.

To direct the eyes for the purpose of seeing something; to direct the eyes toward an object; to observe with the eyes while keeping them directed; - with various prepositions, often in a special or figurative sense. See Phrases below.

A place impossible to get out of, as by a lock.

To direct the attention (to something); to consider; to examine; as, to look at an action.

A device for keeping a wheel from turning.

To seem; to appear; to have a particular appearance; as, the patient looks better; the clouds look rainy.

A grapple in wrestling.

To have a particular direction or situation; to face; to front.

A tuft or length of hair, wool, etc.

In the imperative: see; behold; take notice; take care; observe; - used to call attention.

A small quantity of straw etc.

To show one's self in looking, as by leaning out of a window; as, look out of the window while I speak to you. Sometimes used figuratively.

A quantity of meal, the perquisite of a mill-servant.

To await the appearance of anything; to expect; to anticipate.

(intransitive) To become fastened in place.

To look at; to turn the eyes toward.

(transitive) To fasten with a lock.

To seek; to search for.

(intransitive) To be capable of becoming fastened in place.

To expect.

(transitive) To intertwine or dovetail.

To influence, overawe, or subdue by looks or presence as, to look down opposition.

To freeze one's body or a part thereof in place.

To express or manifest by a look.

To furnish (a canal) with locks.

The act of looking; a glance; a sight; a view; - often in certain phrases; as, to have, get, take, throw, or cast, a look.

To raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.

Expression of the eyes and face; manner; as, a proud or defiant look.

To seize (e.g. the sword arm of an antagonist) by turning one's left arm around it, to disarm them.

Appearance; aspect; as, the house has a gloomy look; the affair has a bad look.

To modify (a thread) so that users cannot make new posts in it.

The expression on a person's face;

To prevent a page from being edited by other users.

The act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually;

To play in the position of lock.

Physical appearance;

A tuft of hair; a flock or small quantity of wool, hay, or other like substance; a tress or ringlet of hair.

The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;

Anything that fastens; specifically, a fastening, as for a door, a lid, a trunk, a drawer, and the like, in which a bolt is moved by a key so as to hold or to release the thing fastened.

Perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards;

A fastening together or interlacing; a closing of one thing upon another; a state of being fixed or immovable.

Give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect;

A place from which egress is prevented, as by a lock.

Have a certain outward or facial expression;

The barrier or works which confine the water of a stream or canal.

Search or seek;

An inclosure in a canal with gates at each end, used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from one level to another; - called also lift lock.

Be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to;

That part or apparatus of a firearm by which the charge is exploded; as, a matchlock, flintlock, percussion lock, etc.

Take charge of or deal with;

A device for keeping a wheel from turning.

Convey by one's expression;

A grapple in wrestling.

Look forward to the probable occurrence of;

To fasten with a lock, or as with a lock; to make fast; to prevent free movement of; as, to lock a door, a carriage wheel, a river, etc.

Accord in appearance with;

To prevent ingress or access to, or exit from, by fastening the lock or locks of; - often with up; as, to lock or lock up, a house, jail, room, trunk. etc.

Have faith or confidence in;

To fasten in or out, or to make secure by means of, or as with, locks; to confine, or to shut in or out - often with up; as, to lock one's self in a room; to lock up the prisoners; to lock up one's silver; to lock intruders out of the house; to lock money into a vault; to lock a child in one's arms; to lock a secret in one's breast.

To link together; to clasp closely; as, to lock arms.

To furnish with locks; also, to raise or lower (a boat) in a lock.

To seize, as the sword arm of an antagonist, by turning the left arm around it, to disarm him.

To become fast, as by means of a lock or by interlacing; as, the door locks close.

A fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed

A strand or cluster of hair

A mechanism that detonates the charge of a gun

Enclosure consisting of a section of canal that can be closed to control the water level; used to raise or lower vessels that pass through it

A restraint incorporated into the ignition switch to prevent the use of a vehicle by persons who do not have the key

Any wrestling hold in which some part of the opponent's body is twisted or pressured

Fasten with a lock;

Keep engaged;

Become rigid or immoveable;

Hold in a locking position;

Become engaged or intermeshed with one another;

Hold fast (in a certain state);

Place in a place where something cannot be removed or someone cannot escape;

Pass by means through a lock in a waterway

Build locks in order to facilitate the navigation of vessels