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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lok, v. Also: lock, lokk-, lok-, loik, loikk-, loak. Also Louk(e. P.t. and p.p. lokkit etc. See also Lokkit p.p. [ME. locke, lokke (Cursor M.), also loke (14th c.), f. Lok n.¹: but cf. ON. loka.]

1. tr. To lock, in various usual senses and collocations: to lock (a door, box, etc.); to lock in (a person), lock up (a thing); etc.(1) 1442 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 9.
Al man that has back yettes close thaim. and at they lok thair foryettes within viij days 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1758.
Past all the nuresis thre … Lokking the dures, leuing the barne alone 1619 Haddington Corr. 222.
He lokked the durres of all the houses(b) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 335.
He lokit all the cofferis againe 1590 Crim. Trials I. ii. 208.
Thow … thaireftir lokit the duris and loctis, as thay wer abefoir 1638 Elphinstone Mun. 26.
Quhilk coffer … the sheref deput lokit(c) 1600 Acts IV. 206/1.
Then maister Alexander … loikkit the dure of the round 1608–9 Crim. Trials III. 42.
The said William stayit the deponar to cloise and loik the weikett of the inner-yett(2) a1500 Seven S. 1074.
The dure behynd hir [he] lokit fast 1600 Crim. Trials II. 149.
[He] lokkit the dur vpoun him Ib. 153.
He passit furth [and] lokkit to the dur c1650 Spalding I. 191.
Sum lokkit wp thair yettis and hous durris(3) a1500 Seven S. 2464.
The stewart … lokit his lady in allane a1538 Abell 28 b.
Bot his modir loket him in ane chalmir 1609 Crim. Trials III. 7.
Rusching furth of the chalmer and loking thame in within the same(b) 1600 Acts IV. 206/1.
I will loik him in and tak the key with me(4) a1568 Pedder C. 13.
He lokis thame [hens] vp in to his innis Vnto ane derth a1540 Freiris Berw. 221 (B).
Ga clois ȝone burd … And lok vp [M. in] all in to ȝone almery 1595 Highland P. I. 169.
Ardkinglas … lockit the sam [contract] up in ane bannet cace(5) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1864 (B).
Quhen thay ws lokkit [Ch. lockit] in the stokkis 1644 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VIII. 101.
They patt on sackcloath gounes upon us and loakit our leggis in yron gaddis

b. To lock by, appar. to mislock by pushing the bolt past its socket. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 428.
I have known a man turn a key in a door and lock it by. Many men leap over, as they think, and leap in

2. fig. To make fast, entrap, ‘imprison’. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 510 (Harl.).
He that syn can lok in to his chene Be lang vsage of spirituall captiuite a1500 Henr. Fab. 2425.
The foxe the feynd I call … Actand ilk man to ryn vnrychteous rinkis, Thinkand thairthrow to lok him in his linkis 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 28.
Lufferis langis only to lok in thar lace Thir ladeis lufly 1700 Minnigaff Par. Rec. 29.
[He] evidenced his being benummed, seared, lockt up in his sin