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To unfasten, as what is locked; as, to unlock a door or a chest.

The lock of a gun, for producing the discharge. See Lock.

sit of money; as, a poor box; a contribution box. Yet since his neighbors give, the churl unlocks, Damning the poor, his tripple-bolted box. J. Warton.

erring to the method by which the movable barrels of breech- loading shotguns are locked, unlocked, or rotated to loading position.

The thumbpiece of the hammer of a gunlock, by which it may be cocked.

That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch, pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.

A projection on the bolt, which passes through the tumbler gates in locking and unlocking.

An old form of gunlock, as the flintlock, which ignites the priming by a spark; perhaps originally, a matchlock. Hence, a gun having such a lock.

To batter; to break in pieces. [Obs.] I like thine armor well; I'll frush it and unlock the rivets all. Shak.

To measure the dimensions of, or to test the accuracy of the form of, as of a part of a gunlock. The vanes nicely gauged on each side. Derham.

d Back. -- Half bent, the first notch, for the sear point to enter, in the tumbler of a gunlock; the halfcock notch. -- Half binding, a style of bookbinding in which only the back and corners are in leather. -- Half boarder, one who boards in part; specifically, a scholar at a boarding school who takes dinner only.…

That part of a gunlock which strikes the percussion cap, or firing pin; the cock; formerly, however, a piece of steel covering the pan of a flintlock musket and struck by the flint of the cock to ignite the priming.

ense; the key of a country; the key of a political situation. Hence, that which serves to unlock, open, discover, or solve something unknown or difficult; as, the key to a riddle; the key to a problem. Those who are accustomed to reason have got the true key of books. Locke. Who keeps the keys of all the creeds. Tennys…

ock nut. See Check nut, under Check. -- Lock plate, a plate to which the mechanism of a gunlock is attached. -- Lock rail (Arch.), in ordinary paneled doors, the rail nearest the lock. Lock rand (Masonry), a range of bond stone. Knight. -- Mortise lock, a door lock inserted in a mortise. -- Rim lock, a lock fastene…

piece of mechanism, especially the moving spring of a watch or clock or the spring in a gunlock which impels the hammer. Hence: The chief or most powerful motive; the efficient cause of action.

An old form of gunlock containing a match for firing the priming; hence, a musket fired by means of a match.

The cock of a gunlock. Knight.

The tumbler of a gunlock. Knight.

To make or set open; to render free of access; to unclose; to unbar; to unlock; to remove any fastening or covering from; as, to open a door; to open a box; to open a room; to open a letter. And all the windows of my heart I open to the day. Whittier.

hifted, so as to require different arrangements of the tumblers on different occasions of unlocking.