Lock out

lock out & locks out locking out locked out locked out

1. lock... out (of) p.v. When you lock people out or lock people out of a place, you lock a door or gate so that they cannot enter a room, building, or other place.

The Youngs got home and found that their son had locked them out of their house.

I hide an extra key under the bumper of my car so that I won't get locked out.

locked out part.adj. When people cannot enter a room, building, or other place because the door or gate is locked, they are locked out.

We're locked out; we'll just have to wait outside until someone comes home.

2. lock... out p.v. When a business locks out workers, the workers are prohibited from working by the business management.

Management locked the workers out after they refused to sign the new contract.

When the owners heard talk of a strike, they locked the employees out.

locked out part.adj. After a business locks out workers in order to prohibit them from working, the workers are locked out.

We're locked out. How can we earn a living?

lockout n. When a business locks out workers in order to prohibit them from working, it is a lockout.

The lockout lasted for three months.

Infinitive
	present tense	-ing form	past tense	past participle
punch in	punch in & punches in	punching in	punched in	punched in

 

1. punch... in p.v. When you come to your workplace and put your time card in the time clock to record the time you have arrived, you punch in.

Don't forget to punch in as soon as you get to work.

Mark was late, so I punched him in.

punched in part.adj. When you are punched in, you are at your workplace, on duty, and being paid.

If you're punched in, you shouldn't be sitting down smoking a cigarette. punch out

punch out & punches out punching out punched out punched out

1. punch... out p.v. When you leave your workplace and put your time card in the time clock to record the time you have left, you punch out.

Sally's not at work; she punched out at 5:08. Jim usually forgets, so his boss punches him out.

punched out part.adj. When you are punched out, you are not at your workplace, or if you are there, you are off duty and not being paid.

The manager asked why I wasn't working, and I told him I was punched out.