A device, latch, or lock mechanism that uses bars; possibly a dialectal or archaic term for a barred lock or bolt.
From 'bar' (a rod or bolt) plus 'lock,' combining two security mechanisms. This compound likely emerged from practical ironworking terminology in medieval English.
Before modern locks, English speakers coined specific names for locking mechanisms—a 'barlock' suggested bars and locks working together for maximum security on castle doors and chests.
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