mortise lock


noun

a lock housed within a mortise in a door or the like, so that the lock mechanism is covered on both sides.

Origin of mortise lock

First recorded in 1770–80

Example sentences from the Web for mortise lock

  • A mortise-lock is fitted in a similar way, but let into a mortise (see Mortising).

    Woodworking for Beginners |Charles Gardner Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for mortise lock

mortise lock

noun

a lock set into a mortise in a door so that the mechanism of the lock is enclosed by the door