# padlock

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpæ̞dˌlɒk/ · frequency rank #42,806

## Definitions
1. A detachable lock that can be used to secure something by means of a sliding or hinged shackle

## Etymology
From earlier pad lock (19th c.); Middle English padlock, padlokke, from pad-, of unknown origin, + lok (“lock”). Perhaps originally a lock for a pad (“gate”), or a gate opening to a path, or a lock for a basket or pannier, from UK dialect pad (“a pannier”).

## Easily confused with
- **pollock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/padlock-vs-pollock)
- **paddock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paddock-vs-padlock)

## Common misspellings (11)
`apdlock`, `paddlock`, `padlcok`, `padllock`, `padlocck`, `padlockk`, `padlokc`, `padolck`, `paldock`, `pdalock`, `ppadlock`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/padlock