airlock: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-to-MediumPrimarily Technical/Neutral
Quick answer
What does “airlock” mean?
A sealed chamber with two airtight doors, used to allow passage between areas of different air pressure, especially between a pressurised cabin/room and outer space or an underwater environment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A sealed chamber with two airtight doors, used to allow passage between areas of different air pressure, especially between a pressurised cabin/room and outer space or an underwater environment.
A small chamber in a spacecraft or submarine that prevents pressure loss when entering or exiting the main vessel. Can also refer to a similar architectural feature in sterile environments (e.g., laboratories) to maintain a clean atmosphere, or metaphorically to any transitional or isolating buffer zone.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or spelling; a consistent technical term. The two-word form 'air lock' is also historically acceptable but less common now.
Connotations
Neutral technical term in both varieties.
Frequency
Frequency is tied to technical/space contexts in both regions; no notable regional variation.
Grammar
How to Use “airlock” in a Sentence
enter through/into the + airlockexit via the + airlockcycle + (the) airlockseal + (the) airlockpressurise/depressurise + (the) airlockVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in aerospace/engineering industries.
Academic
Used in engineering, physics, and space science texts.
Everyday
Used when discussing space travel, sci-fi films/books, or advanced building design.
Technical
Core term in aerospace, submarine engineering, and controlled-environment facilities.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “airlock”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “airlock”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “airlock”
- Spelling as two words: 'air lock' (acceptable but less standard).
- Confusing with 'airtight door' (an airlock has two doors).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The closed compound 'airlock' is now the standard spelling, though 'air lock' is also historically correct.
Yes, submarines and underwater habitats use airlocks to allow divers to exit into the water while keeping the interior dry and pressurised.
Yes, in brewing and winemaking, a small device that allows carbon dioxide to escape from a fermenter while preventing outside air (and contaminants) from entering is also called an airlock.
It can metaphorically describe any intermediate, isolated space or transitional phase that separates two distinct states or environments, often implying suspense or quarantine.
A sealed chamber with two airtight doors, used to allow passage between areas of different air pressure, especially between a pressurised cabin/room and outer space or an underwater environment.
Airlock is usually primarily technical/neutral in register.
Airlock: in British English it is pronounced /ˈeə.lɒk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈer.lɑːk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be in an airlock (metaphor: to be in a state of suspenseful transition/limbo)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a LOCK made of AIR that keeps the atmosphere inside a spaceship. It's a lock for air.
Conceptual Metaphor
A transitional buffer zone; a liminal space between two distinct states or worlds.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of an airlock in a spacecraft?