interlocking
noun
Simple meaning
An arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through a set of intersecting tracks, such as junctions or crossings.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
interlahkingSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɪntɚlɑkɪŋ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
rail transport
An arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through a set of intersecting tracks, such as junctions or crossings.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (rail transport) An arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through a set of intersecting tracks, such as junctions or crossings.
Used this way, interlocking is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in technical or specialist writing contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use interlocking
- “An interlocking of arms by the police held the crowd in check.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Coordinate in such a way that all parts work together effectively.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through a set of intersecting tracks
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.