Spanish word

cerradura

Pronunciation

IPA/θeraˈðuɾa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlock

Example

La cerradura de la puerta está rota.

The lock on the door is broken.

Illustration for cerradura (lock)

More examples

Perdí las llaves y tuve que cambiar la cerradura.

I lost the keys and had to change the lock.

Core concept

Locking device built into furniture or doors, operable by a key or an internal mechanism.

Common phrases

  • cerradura de la puerta

    door lock

  • cerradura electrónica

    electronic lock

  • cerradura del coche

    car lock

Similar words

llave: Turns the tumblers inside a lock when inserted and rotated.
candado: Portable padlock with a shackle that fastens externally and locks with a key.
cerrojo: Interior sliding bolt that is pushed into place to hold a door firmly closed.
picaporte: Handle-and-latch fitting on a door that operates the latch when turned or pressed.

Definition in Spanish

Mecanismo instalado en puertas, muebles u otros objetos que impide la apertura y se acciona con llave, combinación o un mecanismo interno.

Word origin

Derived from cerrar "to close" plus the productive suffix -adura meaning a device, so cerradura literally denotes a device for closing.

Usage tips

  • When referring to locks, cerradura names the installed mechanism and candado names a portable padlock, while the verb phrase for locking is cerrar con llave.

Related words

Word lists with this word