lockdown
lockdown Lexical Profile
lockdown Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A state of isolation, containment, or restricted access instituted by authorities as an emergency security or public health measure.
"During the public health lockdown, schools and universities shifted all classes to online platforms."
The temporary confinement of prisoners to their cells as a security measure following a disturbance.
"The warden ordered an immediate lockdown of the entire facility until the security audit was completed."
Word Nuance & Usage
The closed compound "lockdown" functions as a noun (e.g., "a citywide lockdown"), whereas the open two-word form "lock down" functions as a phrasal verb (e.g., "to lock down the building").
• Rhymes for lockdown
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in the 1970s from the phrasal verb "lock down," originally referring to the confinement of prison inmates to their cells during a disturbance.