Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
verb
To lock up or lock in place; hold tight; fasten.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English belouken, bilouken, from Old English belūcan (“to lock up, bring to an end”), from Proto-West Germanic *bilūkan (“to lock up”), equivalent to be- + lock. Cognate with Middle Low German belûken (“to close, secure”), Middle High German belūchen, belouchen (“to enclose, shut in”), obsolete German belochen (“lock up, lock in, include”).
