Definition of "lock up"

(transitive) To imprison or incarcerate (someone).  quotations  examples

(transitive) To invest in something long term.  examples

(intransitive) To close all doors and windows (of a place) securely.  examples

(intransitive, computing) To cease responding; to freeze.  examples

(transitive, computing) To cause (a program) to cease responding or to freeze.  examples

(intransitive, mechanics) To stop moving; to seize.

1. (of a wheel) To stop spinning due to excessive braking torque.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Due to the engines-out condition, the landing was conducted without the brake antiskid and normal breaking[sic] systems. Because the emergency brake accumulator only provides for a limited amount of brake applications, full braking was applied and retained at the second touch down, resulting in the main wheels locking up. The tires quickly abraded and deflated at a point between about 300 and 450 feet beyond the second and final touch down.

     2004 October 18, Gabinete de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves, “1.3 Damage to Aircraft”, in Accident Investigation Final Report: All Engines-out Landing Due to Fuel Exhaustion, Air Transat Airbus A330-243 marks C-GITS, Lajes, Azores, Portugal, 24 August 2001‎, archived from the original on 30 October 2022, page 11

To lose one's forward momentum; to freeze.  examples

(intransitive, motor racing) To (mistakenly) cause or have one of one's wheels to lock up (stop spinning).  quotations  examples

(intransitive, boating) To travel through a flight of locks on a waterway in an uphill direction.  examples