vapor lock
Low (C1/C2 level)Technical / Mechanical
Definition
Meaning
A problem in internal combustion engines where fuel vaporizes in the fuel line or pump, blocking liquid fuel flow and causing the engine to stall.
More broadly, any situation where a process or system is halted due to an unexpected blockage, disruption, or interruption in the flow of a required material or information.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In the core meaning, the term is highly domain-specific to automotive and mechanical engineering. The extended meaning is a metaphorical application, often used in business or IT contexts. It typically describes a sudden, unexpected stoppage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling is 'vapour lock' in British English. The term is equally technical in both varieties, but the extended metaphorical use may be slightly more common in American business jargon.
Connotations
Identical: implies a frustrating, heat-induced mechanical failure or systemic blockage.
Frequency
Frequency is similar in both varieties within technical contexts. The average speaker in the UK or US is unlikely to use it unless discussing cars or systems engineering.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [engine/system] suffered from vapor lock.Vapor lock [caused/prevented] the [flow/process].The [heat/design] led to a vapor lock in the [fuel line/pipeline].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[To be/To get] vapor-locked (metaphorical, informal).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorical: 'The merger talks hit a vapor lock over the valuation dispute.'
Academic
Rare outside engineering papers; used in thermodynamics or fluid dynamics contexts.
Everyday
Very rare unless someone is diagnosing a car problem on a hot day.
Technical
Primary context: automotive repair manuals, mechanical engineering.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The classic car tends to vapour lock on very warm days.
- If the fuel line is too close to the manifold, it can vapour-lock.
American English
- The old truck vapor locked in the summer heat.
- A redesigned fuel system should prevent the engine from vapor-locking.
adverb
British English
- The engine failed vapor-lock-style on the motorway.
American English
- The system stopped, almost vapor-lock sudden, in the peak heat.
adjective
British English
- We're investigating a vapour-lock issue in the prototype.
- The vapour-lock problem is heat-related.
American English
- It was a classic vapor-lock situation.
- The mechanic diagnosed a vapor-lock condition.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My car stopped on the hot road. The mechanic said it was vapor lock.
- On extremely hot days, the risk of vapor lock in older vehicles increases significantly.
- The project development experienced a kind of vapor lock when the lead architect suddenly resigned, halting all decision-making flow.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine STEAM (vapor) forming in a pipe and creating a LOCK that stops anything else from getting through.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PROCESS IS A FLUID IN A CONDUIT. Interruption of the process is a blockage (lock) caused by a change of state (to vapor).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation as 'паровая блокировка'. In technical context, use 'паровая пробка'. The metaphorical use can be translated as 'внезапный сбой' or 'остановка процесса'.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'vapourlock' (should be two words or hyphenated: vapor-lock).
- Confusing it with 'air lock', which is a different hydraulic phenomenon.
- Using it as a verb without hyphenation ('The engine vapor locked' is acceptable; 'It vaporlocked' is informal).
Practice
Quiz
In a metaphorical business context, what does 'vapor lock' most likely describe?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly written as two words ('vapor lock') or hyphenated as a compound adjective or verb ('vapor-lock problem', 'to vapor-lock').
Yes, but it's a technical metaphor. It can describe any process that stops abruptly because a critical 'flow' (of information, materials, decisions) is blocked by an unexpected change in conditions.
Excessive heat causing the liquid fuel to vaporize (turn to bubbles/steam) in the fuel line, which then prevents the liquid fuel pump from pushing more fuel to the engine.
'Vapour lock', following the UK spelling of 'vapour'.