lockup

[ lok-uhp ]

noun

1. a jail, especially a local one for temporary detention.
2. the act of locking up or the state of being locked up.
3. a temporary imprisonment or detention, as of suspects or prisoners.
4. a stock that has been held by an individual as a long-term investment, or that a brokerage firm is required by a regulation to hold for a certain period of time before it can be sold.
5. any investment or credit instrument, as a renewed loan, in which capital is tied up for a long time.
6. Printing.
   1. the entire body of type and cuts locked up in a chase preparatory to printing or platemaking.
   2. the act or procedure of locking up type and cuts in a chase.
7. Automotive. a sudden stopping of the rotation of a wheel.
8. British Informal. a rented locker, storage space, or garage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lockup¹

First recorded in 1760–70; noun use of verb phrase lock up

Example Sentences

The situation escalated after the police put her fiance in the lockup, she alleged.

From BBC

In a letter to the court, Combs lawyers said that comparing him to Kelly and Maxwell — both of whom served time in the Brooklyn federal lockup while awaiting trial for sex trafficking — were not fair.

From Los Angeles Times

And it’s a problem in federal prisons as well as state lockups.

From Los Angeles Times

“And this kid says to me, ‘Yo, doctor, that’s kind of nice, but, you know, really, man, we don’t think these kids need to be in lockup in the first place.’”

From Los Angeles Times

Trump will be entitled to sell any or all of those shares starting in mid-September, when a six-month lockup period expires.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• penitentiary