Obs. Forms: Inf. 1 lúcan, 2–4 luke(n, 3 Orm. lukenn, 4 luk, louke(n, lowke, 6 lowk, 7 louk. Pa. t. 1 léac, pl. lucon, 3 læc, lec, loc, pl. loke(n, luken, 4 leke. Weak forms: 3–4 louked, luked, 4 loukid(e, 6 Sc. lowkyt. Pa. pple. 1 locen, 2–5 (i-, y-) i-loke(n, 3 Orm. lokenn, 3–4 luken, -in, 4–5 lokin, -on, -yn, (5 lukkin), Weak forms: 4 loukid, 5 lowked, Sc. lowkyt. [A Com. Teut. str. vb.: OE. lúcan = OFris. lûka, OS. (ant-, bi-)lûkan (MDu. lûken, Du. luiken), OHG. (ant-, ar-, pi-)lûchan (MHG. lûchen), ON. lúka, Goth. *lûkan (in galûkan to close, uslûkan to open); f. Teut. root *leuk-: lauk-: lūk-, whence LOCK sb.2 Outside Teut. no certain cognates have been found.
The str. pa. pple. survived the other parts of the vb., being regarded as belonging to LOCK v.1]
1. trans. To close, shut, fasten; esp. to fasten (a door or chamber) with lock and key, to lock; also, to close (the jaws, the eyes). Also fig.
a. 1000. Andreas, 1259 (Gr.). Hrim & forst … hæleða eðel lucon.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 141. Þe ȝeten weren ilokene.
c. 1205. Lay., 15311. He ærde to Glochæstre & þe ȝates læc [c. 1275 loc] ful feste.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 513. Ðis cete ðanne hise chaueles lukeð.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3779. Ðis erðe is togidere luken, Als it ne were neuere or to-broken.
c. 1275. Luue Ron, 147, in O. E. Misc., 97. He haueþ bi-tauht þe o tresur And bit þe luk þine bur.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10189. Þe doren after hom wepinde [hii] loke vaste.
a. 1300. Sarmun, xxxvi. in E. E. P. (1862), 5. Vn-do þin hert þat is iloke wiþ couetise and pryde.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5224. Ioseph þi sun sal luke þin ei.
13[?]. Seuyn Sag. (W.), 929. He lek his eghen & gan to slape.
c. 1330. Owayn Miles (1837), 10. With locke and keye the gate to louken.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxlvii. 2. Þe ȝates of heuen eftire þe day of dome sall be loukid til.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3954. The gud kynge Lokes one his eye-liddis, þat lowkkide ware faire.
a. 1400. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (E.E.T.S.), 257. Þe ȝates of Parais Þoruth eue weren iloken.
c. 1422. Hoccleve, Jereslaus’s Wife, 334. Left was the Erles Chambre dore vnstoken; To which he com and found it was nat loken.
1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 379. The same quayer to be put in a boxe called a Casket, loken.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. viii. 68. Nor I, thy moder, laid not thy corps on beyr, Nor wyth my handis lowkyt thyne eyn so cleyr.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xv. 8. The dum solsequium … louks his leavis throu langour of the nicht.
1631. A. Craig, Pilgr. & Heremite, 8.
| Then who shall bee seene, | |
| To louk thy dead Eine? |
2. intr. for refl. To close up, form one mass. Also with together. Of a lace: To have a fastening.
a. 1000. Phœnix, 225 (Gr.). Siþþan þa yslan eft onginnað æfter liʓþræce lucan togædre.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3276. God him bad helden up his hond to-ward ðis water, in a morgen quile ðe se luked.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 44. Þenne lasned þe loȝ lowkande togeder.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 217. A lace lapped aboute, þat louked at þe hede.
3. trans. To lock or shut up (const. in, within); to enclose, surround; also, to lock or shut out. lit. and fig. To louk in clay or lead = to bury.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1091. He wass himm sellf … lokenn þær wiþþinnenn.
c. 1205. Lay., 32202. His ban beoð iloken faste i guldene cheste.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 362. Ðhu salt ben ut in sorȝe luken.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6338. Sum-kin takening suld þar be Loken in þir wandes thre. Ibid., 9891. Þis castel es … wit walles loken four a stan. Ibid., 17411. Ioseph … Yee luked under lok and sele.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 3258. For loud in armes ilk oþer þey loken.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 492. Hir pines were so harde and strong, Sche wald be loken in clay.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 243. Lo! how the sonne gan louke Her liȝte in herself.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 42. [God] loukide hem in þe myȝt of her enemyes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Nun’s Pr. T., 55. Trewely she hath the herte in hoold Of Chauntecleer loken in every lith.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3839. Thou shalt be bounde, And faste loken in a tour.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 5005. Þat oþir loken ouire with leues as it ware liȝt siluir.
1414. Brampton, Penit. Ps., 18. Late noȝt myn enemyes makyn bere game Of me, whan I am lokyn in leed.
1438. Buke Alex. Great, 108. That hed him lukkin in luffis lace.
Hence † Louked (weak) ppl. a. See also LOKEN, LUCKEN.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. Prol. 101. The lowkyt buttonis on the gemmyt treis Ourspredand leyvis of naturis tapestreis.
