Secured or closed with a padlock, a detachable lock with a U-shaped metal bar that snaps shut.
From 'padlock,' which is a compound of uncertain origin—possibly from 'pad' (a pocket in clothing where you'd keep valuables) combined with 'lock.' First recorded in the 1500s.
Padlocks got their name from keeping things in your 'pad' or pocket safe—then people realized the same idea worked for gates and doors, so we still call them the same name!
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