Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An airtight chamber, usually located between two regions of unequal pressure, in which air pressure can be regulated.
  • noun A bubble or pocket of air or vapor, as in a pipe, that stops the normal flow of fluid through the conducting part.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A sealed, airtight chamber, such as in a manned spacecraft or submarine, used to provide access to and from the sealed area without allowing air out or water in.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a chamber that provides access to space where air is under pressure

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Step Twelve: Gently peel soap mold from sides of soap until airlock is broken.

    Loopy Soap - Day Two Anne-Marie 2008

  • O'BRIEN: The airlock, which is on the International Space Station, while the Shuttle has been busy doing its thing with Hubble, there are still astronauts living on the Space Station.

    CNN Transcript Mar 9, 2002 2002

  • On the other side of the airlock was the open crater floor.

    Moonwar Bova, Ben, 1932- 1997

  • The airlock was a triple-door type, not so much to save air as to give him an airlock even if he lost a door somehow.

    A Hole In Space Niven, Larry, 1938- 1992

  • The airlock was a triple-door type, not so much to save air as to give him an airlock even if he lost a door somehow.

    A World Out of Time Niven, Larry 1976

  • The viewports showed nothing, but on the outer door of the airlock was a small window, shielded against chance radiation.

    Starchild Omnibus Pohl, Frederik & Williamson, Jack 1963

  • Cosmonauts Kotov and Suraev are slated to conduct spacewalks in January from the Pirs airlock, which is part of the ISS's Russian segment.

    InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs 2009

  • Cosmonauts Kotov and Suraev are slated to conduct spacewalks in January from the Pirs airlock, which is part of the ISS's Russian segment.

    InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs 2009

  • Cosmonauts Kotov and Suraev are slated to conduct spacewalks in January from the Pirs airlock, which is part of the ISS's Russian segment.

    InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs 2009

  • Cosmonauts Kotov and Suraev are slated to conduct spacewalks in January from the Pirs airlock, which is part of the ISS's Russian segment.

    InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs 2009

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  • Handy location for disposing of your enemies, by venting them into space (Battlestar Galactica)

    April 30, 2008