The LIST Council has been asked by ALOA and others to complete a Dictionary for Locksmiths. We are nearing completion of that work and are pleased to submit this installment of the remaining terms that have been identified as specific to our industry. Please note that terms marked with an asterisk (*) will be revisions of terms currently in the dictionary or previously submitted for peer review.

When making a definition of a term, we applied the following rules to the term:

1. Is the term listed in "Webster"?

2. Is the definition there the same meaning used in our industry?

To us, "Webster", means a typical pocket dictionary, which could be obtained easily, and on short notice, from any grocery store which has a pocket book display. If the answer to either of the questions above was no, we felt the term must be in our dictionary, otherwise it was common usage which anyone could define.

Because there is generally more than one term in use from one geographic area to another, we established the most popular term that most closely describes what it means as the "primary" term to be defined, unless it has different opposing definitions. All other terms with the same meaning become secondary terms and are only listed in the appendix. With that established, the definitions have to meet the following rules:

1. It must describe the subject of the term without graphics.

2. It must describe ONLY the subject of the term.

3. The term should not be used in the definition when alternate words are available.

If you have a technical objection to any definition, please bring it to the attention of the publisher of this listing, or a member of the LIST Council for review. The current dictionary may be consulted online at; http://www.locksoft.com/gloscopy.htm

*active plug retainer

n. one in which the plug must be turned before the device may be released or removed

 

ball check

n. a spring loaded ball bearing in a door closer arm assembly that acts to limit arm travel

 

bump key

n. a lock picking key with uniform steeples between cuts that is forced further into the lock via impact

 

exit width

n. 1. a specification for the minimum door opening, (side to side), that requires application of an exit device, 2. an expression of an actual opening dimension

 

lock bumping

n. a picking technique that utilizes a configured key forcefully impacted into the keyway

 

magic number

n. for an SFIC, a value from which subtracting the control cut depth will result in the correct top pin size, or, subtracting the top pin size will result in the control cut depth

 

pull bump key

n. a lock picking key that must be pulled from the lock one space position between impacts

 

push bump key

n. a lock picking key that centers itself after each impact

 

RLT

abb. relock trigger

 

spring tab

n. the part of a disc tumbler that serves as a spring seat

 

status switch

n. a device, usually electro-mechanical, which can provide information to a system as to whether the protected opening is open or closed, or position of a latch

tube

n. a hollow cylindrical pipe passing through a safe or vault door from the lock to the front of the door