What does padlocked mean?
Padlocked means that something is fastened with a padlock, a detachable lock typically attached to a hasp or loop and secured with a key or combination. The word commonly describes a door, gate, window, bicycle, or storage container that someone has deliberately secured. It can also function as the past tense and past participle of the verb padlock, as in “They padlocked the gate.” In ordinary use, padlocked carries a stronger and more specific implication than simply locked: the object is secured by a visible, removable padlock rather than by a built-in lock or latch. The word is therefore useful when describing property, equipment, or access that has been deliberately closed and protected. Its meaning is straightforward in modern English, though it can imply both security and the prevention of access.
Secured with a padlock; fastened so that it cannot be opened without the correct key or combination.
"The padlocked entrance made the building inaccessible during the demonstration."
Common with doors, gates, windows, bicycles, and containers.
To secure something with a padlock.
"Staff padlocked the equipment room at the end of the shift."
This is the past tense and past participle of padlock.
A padlock is a lock that hangs from a hasp, turning a simple fastening into a visible signal that something is closed off.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does padlocked come from?
The form padlocked is derived from the compound padlock, which combines the English word pad with lock. A padlock is a lock made to be attached to a hasp or staple and then closed through its shackle, allowing it to be removed when unlocked. The related forms lock, locker, locked, and unlock share the same Germanic root for a fastening mechanism. The compound and its inflected forms became established in English long before the modern use of padlocks for securing bicycles, gates, and storage containers.
Related word forms
How padlocked is actually used
The adjective is commonly used with doors, gates, windows, bicycles, and storage containers. The verb form is standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with padlocked
A locked object may be secured by any kind of lock, while a padlocked object is specifically secured with a padlock.