spinlock

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noun

A lock which causes a thread trying to acquire it simply to wait in a loop ("spin") while repeatedly checking if the lock is available.

UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounspinlock (plural spinlocks)

plural spinlocks

  1. computingA lock which causes a thread trying to acquire it simply to wait in a loop ("spin") while repeatedly checking if the lock is available.
verbspinlock (third-person singular simple present spinlocks, present participle spinlocking, simple past and past participle spinlocked)

present singular third person spinlocks · participle present spinlocking · participle past spinlocked · past spinlocked

  1. computingTo use a spinlock.

Origin

From spin + lock.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

spinlock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spinlock

MLA

“spinlock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spinlock. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spinlock,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spinlock.

Source: spinlock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.