lockpick

[ lok-pik ]

noun

1. a device such as a sharp instrument or wire that enables a person, especially a burglar, to open a lock without using a key:

   He used a lockpick to open the door and stole the papers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lockpick¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; lock ¹( def ) + pick ¹( def )

Example Sentences

With bolt cutters for the chain on the fence and a lockpick for the main door, he was inside in less than ninety seconds.

From Literature

For example, to build a lockpick you need to buy a turnip from a vending machine and take it to a cage where an unseen animal lives in a lab room.

From Washington Post

After feeding it the turnip you must hand it a paper clip and ask it to fashion a heart, and after it hands it to you, give it back to the critter and ask it to flatten it to get the shape that you need for a lockpick.

From Washington Post

“Smog is like a lockpick that opens the door of infection,” said Zielonka, who works at the Medical University of Warsaw.

From Seattle Times

“Smog is like a lockpick that opens the door of infection,” said Zielonka, who works at the Medical University of Warsaw.

From Washington Times