Where does the word “Padlock” come from and What does Padlock mean?

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Karen Hill

The “padlock” is a type of lock that dates from the fifteenth century, but the name poses a riddle.

Our language contains pads of varying kinds and descriptions, but there was only one, totally obsolete now, which was in use before that date.

The toad.

So it may have been that the removable lock of five centuries ago had somewhat of a likeness to the shape of a toad, and was thus so called.

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