sidelock: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-frequency wordFormal, academic, specialist/historical
Quick answer
What does “sidelock” mean?
A lock or section of hair growing at or hanging down by the side of the head.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A lock or section of hair growing at or hanging down by the side of the head; often specifically referring to a traditional religious hairstyle.
A mechanical lock on a firearm (especially a musket or rifle) mounted on the side of the firearm's action. In architecture, a subsidiary or secondary lock arrangement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant regional difference in meaning. In hair contexts, 'sidelock' is used by both. In firearm contexts, 'side-lock' with a hyphen is slightly more common in American technical writing.
Connotations
Both variants carry the same connotations of tradition, antiquity, or specialist knowledge.
Frequency
Equally rare in both variants. The hair meaning may be slightly more recognised in the UK due to museum contexts, while the firearm meaning may be slightly more recognised in the US due to gun culture.
Grammar
How to Use “sidelock” in a Sentence
to wear/have a sidelocka sidelock of/in haira sidelock on the riflethe sidelock (on the gun) brokeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sidelock” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The gunsmith will sidelock the mechanism. (rare, technical)
American English
- The smith sidelocked the antique musket for display. (rare, technical)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- The sidelock design was common on 18th-century fowling pieces.
American English
- He collects sidelock shotguns and double rifles.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in anthropology, history of religion, history of fashion, and history of technology/weaponry.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used by antique firearms collectors/experts and military historians.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sidelock”
- Spelling as one word 'sidelock' is standard; hyphenated 'side-lock' is also acceptable but less common.
- Using for any side-parting of hair (it is a specific hanging lock).
- Confusing with 'sideburns'.
- Capitalising when not referring to a proper noun (e.g., the Horus sidelock).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency, specialised term. You will primarily encounter it in historical, anthropological, or antique firearms texts.
A sideburn is facial hair growing down the side of the face in front of the ears. A sidelock (hair) is a lock of hair from the scalp, often hanging down by the temple, and is typically associated with specific cultural or religious traditions.
Extremely rarely. In the most technical firearm contexts, it might mean 'to fit with a sidelock mechanism,' but it is not standard. The noun forms are overwhelmingly dominant.
They are separate etymological compounds of 'side' + 'lock'. 'Lock' has the Old English meaning 'tress of hair' and the Middle Dutch/Low German meaning 'mechanism for fastening or firing'. The same word form evolved to denote two distinct concepts positioned at the 'side' of something.
A lock or section of hair growing at or hanging down by the side of the head.
Sidelock is usually formal, academic, specialist/historical in register.
Sidelock: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsaɪdlɒk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsaɪdˌlɑːk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'lock' of hair at the 'side' of the head. For the gun, it's a 'lock' (firing mechanism) on the 'side'.
Conceptual Metaphor
Hair as a tangible, detachable object that signifies identity/tradition (the lock); a mechanism as a securing device (the lock).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'sidelock' in the context of antique weaponry?