unlock
part of speech
verb (unlock, unlocks, unlocked, unlocking)
meaning for a pupil
1) To unlock is to open a lock, usually with a key, code or button. tree →
2) To unlock a phone, tablet or computer is to enter a code, pattern or fingerprint so you can use it. tree →
3) In games, to unlock is to make a new level, character or item available. tree →
4) To unlock can mean to discover or free something hidden, like unlocking a secret or a talent. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life and safety, children learn not to unlock the door to strangers and to keep their phone passcodes private. In computing, passwords and passcodes unlock devices. In games and stories, characters unlock doors, chests and secrets. Opposite: lock.
examples
- Dad unlocked the front door with his key. tree →
- Don't unlock the door for someone you don't know. tree →
- Use your fingerprint to unlock the tablet. tree →
- I unlocked a new level in the game. tree →
- The key will unlock the treasure chest. tree →
- Reading can unlock new worlds. tree →
- Never tell anyone the code that unlocks your phone. tree →
- Scientists are trying to unlock the secrets of the brain. tree →
note
Past form: unlocked. «Un-» means the opposite: lock → unlock. «Unlocked» can also be an adjective: «The door was unlocked» (not locked). Safety: keep passcodes secret, except from parents.
In the corpora
- Unlocked bikes and phones left on show are stolen every day, often in seconds.
- A bike is locked by its frame and a wheel to a fixed bike rack, because unlocked bikes are stolen.
- Ruby in Perth watched her big brother type his phone code and later unlocked it to look at his games and messages.
- An unlocked bike is much easier to steal than a locked one.
- Imagine unlocking the other ninety!" It feels like a secret superpower waiting inside your head.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «unlock» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.