lock

Used in the context of general equities. Make a market both ways ( bid and offer) either on the bid, offering, or an in-between price only. Locking on the offering occurs to attract a seller, since the trader is willing to pay (and ask) the offering side when others only ask it. Locking on the bid side attracts buyers for similar reasons. Typically, the sell side requires a plus tick to comply with short sale rules. Bloomberg Financial Dictionary

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▪ I. lock lock ¹ [lɒk ǁ lɑːk] verb

1. [transitive] lock horns (with somebody) if two people or organizations lock horns, they start being involved in a serious disagreement or struggle with each other:

• Mr. Lorenzo locked horns with union representatives in his efforts to turn around the struggling business.

2. be locked in a battle/​struggle/​dispute etc (with somebody) if two people or organizations are locked in a battle, they are involved in a serious disagreement or struggle against each other:

• The two networks are locked in a close ratings battle.

• The unions are locked in difficult negotiations with the company.

lock something → away phrasal verb [transitive] FINANCE

to invest money in such a way that it is not available to be used; =lock up:

• He didn't want to lock the money away in a ten-year Treasury note.

lock in phrasal verb

1. [transitive] lock something → in FINANCE to gain something and be certain to keep it:

• Investors can lock in an 8.4% yield on a 30-year Treasury Bond.

• Venezuela is seeking to lock in buyers for its oil.

2. [intransitive] to come to a firm agreement that will last for some time and cannot be broken:

• Many homeowners are keen to lock in at current low interest rates.

lock into something phrasal verb

1. [transitive] to come to a firm agreement that will last for some time and cannot be broken:

• A company is often forced to lock into a pricing schedule before it is sure about the cost of developing and producing a new technology.

2. be/​become locked into something to be in or get into a position where you have agreed to do something and so have to do it:

• The firm has become locked into long-term contracts.

lock out phrasal verb [transitive]

1. lock somebody → out HUMAN RESOURCES if a company locks its workers out, it prevents them from entering their place of work until they have agreed to accept its conditions:

• The company responded to the strike by locking out over 5,000 workers.

— see also lock-out

2. lock somebody/​something → out to prevent a person or organization from taking part in a business activity or being involved in it:

• Smaller firms have been locked out of the US market.

lock something → up phrasal verb [transitive] FINANCE

to invest money or keep it in such a way that it not available to be used; =lock away:

• Mutual funds are an appropriate vehicle for income-seeking investors who don't want to lock their money up.

— see also lock-up

  [m0] ▪ II. lock lock ² noun

1. have a lock on something to have complete control of something:

• The firm now has an 85% lock on the market.

• Between them the two airlines have a virtual lock on domestic air traffic.

2. put a lock on something to limit or control something:

• These currency controls put a lock on Pakistan's dealings with the larger world.

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lock UK US /lɒk/ verb

● lock horns (with sb) — Cf. lock horns with sb