lockout
UK[ˈlɒkaʊt]US[ˈlɑːkaʊt]
n
A situation in which an employer refuses to allow workers into their place of work until they agree to certain conditions.
n
The action of preventing access to a place, system, or device, especially by electronic means.
Morpheme Breakdown
lock
out
lock
out
Etymology
The compound noun 'lockout' is a transparent formation from the native English verbs 'lock' and 'out'. It originated in the early 19th century within the context of industrial labor disputes, where employers would literally lock the doors of a factory to keep workers out as a tactic to enforce terms. The term's logic is directly spatial and physical: to secure a place by locking it, thereby putting someone on the outside. This concrete imagery was later extended metaphorically to digital and electronic contexts, such as being locked out of a computer system or account, preserving the core concept of enforced exclusion through a barrier.
Analysis
Structure: lock + out
- lock: From Old English loc (a fastening, enclosure). Functional role: The core action/object, meaning to fasten or secure.
- out: From Old English ūt (out, outside, away). Functional role: An adverbial particle indicating exclusion or a state of being outside.
Examples
The management imposed a lockout after the union rejected the new contract.
After three failed password attempts, the system initiated a 30-minute lockout.
The prolonged lockout of the professional sports league cancelled the entire season.