noun

• 1A person who picks locks.

  ‘He was the best picklock in the gang, able to unlock doors and safes in a matter of seconds; and being one of the older members earned him skill in what he did.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘He was a picklock in the widest sense. Keeping him out of a place he wanted to get into or look into was a remarkably difficult thing to do.’

  Synonyms

  housebreaker, robber, cat burglar, raider, looter, pilferer, picklock, thief, sneak thief, safe-breaker, safe-blower, safe-cracker

  1. 1.1An instrument for picking locks.
     ‘In fact, Houdini relied on great skill, low cunning, and keeping tiny metal picklocks concealed about his person.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The lock of the chain cannot be opened using a picklock.’
     • ‘One doesn't want to be seen using a picklock. Now, can you show us the way?’
     • ‘A picklock lay on the floor, which told me how she had gained entrance in the night.’
     • ‘This has been described by one commentator as a ‘picklock that opens all doors.’’